Hyaku Kaidan  A hundred ghost stories
by riddlefiddleai
Summary: Welcome, Welcome my dear friends, join Naru, Mai and friends as they dive into the mysteries of a HUNDRED case files. Action, Danger, horror,  romance and comedy, a continuation of the ghost hunt series. Summaries for individual case files in my profile.
1. File 1  Train

Err, yeah not my first ghost hunt stories but yep, I finally decided to write this…after its been sitting in my head all these months. So here ya go. I promise a hundred ghost stories.

Hyaku Kaidan-A hundred ghost stories

Prologue

Welcome, welcome into the special hut. It is dark here and surrounding you are a hundred candles. The golden glow illuminated by the candles flickers in the dark room. Figures wearing Noh Japanese mask greets you and lead you down the room. You are lead to a red cushion where you sat. A deep silence ensues and the candles flicker illuminating the Noh Mask.

You breathe out, curious about your predicament, yet scared for what is to come.

Welcome, welcome to the special hut, are you ready for a hundred ghost stories?

File 1# Train

Heart and ball

Mai Taniyama a healthy 16 year old strolled out of the school principal's office a little more hot tempered than usual. "How dare that old fart call me lazy," she muttered under her breath, "If it weren't for my part time job I would have done better in school."

"Don't fret on it Mai-Chan," her friend Mari Kurosawa said, smiling weakly. Mai sighed and folded her arms together, "Well if you ask me I rather skip school than miss my part time job." She said.

Mari laughed and patted the red headed girl. "Well hang in there Mai; I'm sure one day Kazuya-san would take notice of you."

"What-what are you saying!" Mai shouted blushing at the statement. Mari Kurosawa laughs, flicking her long black hair behind her and running forward to avoid Mai's embarrassed bashing. "You're so bloody o-b-v-i-o-u-s," she said and laughed again when Mai blushed harder.

"Enough of that, let's go home," Mai muttered angrily and Mari laughed patting her friends head. They took their bags and left the high school walking fast towards the train station that stood nearby.

"Eek, it's crowded again," Mai moaned looking at the mess of people in front of her. "Stop moaning," Mari said pushing Mai forward.

"Perverts lurk in here," Mai muttered, placing her bag behind her, pressing her skirt tightly down. Mari laughs and they walked closed to the train platform.

"Don't stand so close to the platform, Mari," Mai warned her friend who was standing dangerously close to the yellow line.

"Why, scared I'll commit suicide," Mari said laughing. Mai gulped and narrowed her eyes at Mari. "Don't even joke about things like that."

"Sheeze, you're so uptight Mai," Mari said running her hands down her smooth black hair and staring out onto the train tracks with her brown eyes. Mai stared at her friend from the corner of her eyes. Just standing like this, Mari was just like any school girl who was just a little bit more beautiful than the average. Her long paled legs, combined with her flawless black hair and deep brown eyes made her slightly more popular with the guys back in school. However, Mari had a flaw. She had a habit of joking about the most morbid things. She laughed at the death of others, love ghost stories with gruesome murders in them. What Mari lacked was sympathy…and evident in the number of guys she turned down in the school.

"Just last week I heard a young girl died here," Mari said suddenly pointing at the platform they stood on. "Or was it 2 weeks ago…" she pondered. Mai sighed, she remembered that incident. Masako had burst into the office demanding help from the cold hearted Shibuya Kazuya, A.K.A Naru. The young 17 year old boss of the Shibuya Psychic office, he might not look like it but he was a capable human being with high IQ levels and a heart made of steel. Accompanying him was a man of a similar personality, Lin-san. The tall stoic man was a mysterious man of all sorts and apparently was Naru's bodyguard.

Then there were the exorcists, Hara Masako, a beautiful, proud egoistic brat. Hosho Takigawa, Bou-san, a Buddhist monk that was slightly more laid back than the others. Ayako Matsuzaki, a Japanese priest who is probably the oldest in the group…not forgetting John Brown a slightly mysterious Christian priest. And then there was Osamu Yasuhara-san, a university student from a highly acclaimed school. He was the latest addition to the group.

"Kazuya, the girl that died on the train tracks…apparently her body cannot be found."

"Oh," Naru had said. He sipped the tea Mai had given him and placed the cup on the table. "Then there is no case."

"Kazuya, please we need you-"

"There is no body, there is no case."

And that was the end of it.

Mai had seen the case on the news. Apparently a girl of about 9 years old had been seen playing with a ball near the side of the platform. She chased the ball towards the edge of the platform and fell in. The train had come later and before anyone could scream, the girl was gone, squash underneath the heavy weight train as it ran over the track. Some people had seen the girl's laughing face squashed by the incoming train. As soon as they were able to get the train moving again, the rescue workers got to work by moving the train off the girl. However, to everyone horror, there was blood but there was no body. All that was left was a red Japanese ball that was bouncing steadily on the track.

"I saw her, I definitely saw the girl," one of the witnesses had said. And this statement was supported by 10 others.

"Cool, huh," Mari said.

"What!" Mai shouted and gasped when Mari went closer to Mai, her eyes sparkling. 'I wonder what happened to the girl, oh the countless possibilities and theories one can come up with!" she shouted. Mai gave a sigh and a nervous laugh.

Mari was the only person in this world to get excited about something like that.

"Oh look here comes the train," Mai said and she took a step back as the train rushes in. Mari skirt flapped caused by the wind of the incoming train. "Ah, I wish I could meet her," Mari said.

"Don't talk rubbish," Mai chided. A huge gust of wind blew past, causing Mai to wince, closing her eyes for a second. Then she heard it.

"_Taimuparadokkusu." _

"Eh," Mai whispered, turning around just in time to see Mari's bag crashing onto the platform behind her. The train doors opened with a beeping sound and the many people behind her rushed in, pushing Mai into the train.

"Mari?" Mai shouted, noticing her missing friend. The people pushed her further into the train and Mai struggled against them.

"Mari! Mari!" she shouted, desperate to find her friend. The train door closed when Mai pressed her face against it, staring out at the platform where Mari and her stood just seconds ago.

Mari wasn't there, all that was there was her bag, laid strewn on the ground. Mai felt her heart pounding hard in her chest. "Mari?" she whispered. The train started to move, jerking Mai forward. Mai fell onto a man who shouted in pain. Out of the corner of her eye, something red flashed past the window…bouncing slowly on the platform where she once stood.

"A red ball," Mai whispered.

"Mari!" she shouted.

"NARU!" Mai shouted bursting into the office in Shibuya district. Naru raised his eye brow as Mai clutches her chest. She was panting hard, having run all the way from Shibuya station. "Naru, we have a case!"

"Oh ho and since when did you decide the case Taniyama-san," Naru said irritation building in his cold expressionless face. "Mari!" Mai shouted, tears running down her face, "She's gone!"

"A red Japanese ball," Mai said struggling to get the words out, "It was bouncing on the platform…I definitely saw it…she was there!"

"Taimuparadokkusu," Mai whispered; Naru closed the book he was reading and stood up. "Call the rest," he told Lin who raised an eye brow, "We have a case."


	2. File 1 Train 2

File 1#

Train 2

Poems

"A red ball bouncing on this spot, don't make me laugh," the train manager told Mai. "I saw none of that."

"But she was here, her bag was here and the red ball was definitely here!" Mai shouted at the train manager who laughed again.

"I think your just tired little girl, why don't you leave this case to the police," he said patting Mai's head. Naru sighed when Mai reach out to hold the manager's sleeves with her two hands. "I'm telling the truth!" she shouted.

"Mai," Naru said pulling Mai behind him and looking at the train manager.

"Look," he told the man who gulped when Lin approached, "We're given permission from Hara Masako to look at the tapes from the platform cameras from last week's case." The train manager hesitated before sighing.

"One after another, you ghost hunt teams give me no rest…disappearing girls on platforms…don't joke with me, I came here to do a proper joke and all I get is this supernatural stuff." He muttered before disappearing into the control rooms and bringing out a plastic bag filled with tapes.

"Here, though I highly doubt you would get much out of it…" he said before giving Mai Mari's bag. Mai felt tears threatening to overcome her but she wiped it off and gulped down the tightly feeling she was getting in her chest. Mari couldn't have disappeared…one minute she was there and the next minute she was gone. It happened so fast it seemed unreal. No, it was simply not possible…it was not possible at all.

"Come Mai, there's no point in being here," Naru said and Mai nodded clutching Mari's bag closer to her chest. She'll definitely find her no matter what.

"Another case huh," Bou-san said walking in sighing. He squeezed Mai cheeks as she greeted him, "You little squirt everywhere you go disaster follows."

"It's not like it can be help can it!" Mai pouted at him.

'Well I guess your right a magnet I say, a magnet," Bou-san said.

"If you guys are done playing with each other," Naru's voice sounded behind them causing both to jump, "I would suggest you help me view these tapes."

Bou-san moaned and Mai accepted the tapes readily. "It's going to be a long night." Bou-san muttered.

Mai slipped the tape into the machine and the screen whirled to life. The tapes dated back a few hours ago. There Mai spotted Mari and herself standing in the midst of the crowd. Mai felt her heart clench when she saw Mari's smiling face. The minutes ticked by and finally the train arrived. Mai gasped when she saw Mari disappear into thin smoke on the screen.

'Holy shit what was that," Bou-san muttered behind her.

Mai replayed the scene over again, the sound of the train arriving and Mari disappearing happened again. It happened so fast, a hundredth of a second. "Playback!" Bou-san said more urgently and Mai looped the video.

It happened again, over and over again. But each time it happened, Mai noticed a few changes. Mari's facial features changed every time before her disappearance. They seem to become more urgent, more panicked each time the scene was play back. Bou-san gasped as the scene happened again and this time Mai was also alarmed.

The play back happened again and this time Mari's facial expressions were clearly distraught, "Help!" her lips seem to utter. Mai and Bou-san pulled back from the screen. Each time they had played back Mari's facial features had changed, into something uglier, something more horrifying than the first. It was like she was becoming blacker and darker. Like a vapor disappearing into the midst.

"I wonder what happened to the girl," Mari's voice echoed in Mai's mind.

"It's almost like we're watching a movie with different scenes," Bou-san whispered, gulping before playing the video again. Mai screamed and pulled back from the screen, Bou-san shouted, Naru rushed towards them pausing the video. Mari was there, clearly she was there, but this time she was staring at them from inside the screen. Her head twisted in an odd angle. Her whites showing and her mouth wide opened barring her teeth.

"AaaaaAaaaaaAaaaaaa…" she said, her mouth getting bigger and bigger.

"Stop!" Mai shouted, pressing the stop button. The voice disappeared and the video tape ejected itself.

"W…what was that!" Bou-san muttered, clearly freaked out. Mai's hands were trembling. Mari…what happened to you…why were you so distress…why did the scene change every time they played it back.

"Naru!" Lin's voice sounded urgently behind them. Bou-san and Mai turned as Naru rushed towards Lin side. Lin was staring at the video of the girl from one week ago. He had looped the video as Mai and Bou-san had done. There on the screen was the girl falling onto the tracks. Mai winced as she saw the train going over the girl. She winced again when she saw the blood splashing onto the track. The scene re looped and happened again. The same sounds, the train's whirling engine rushing past, the sound of the girl laughing before screaming as she dropped onto the train track, the sound of bones cracking and flesh piercing open and then the screams from the people on the platform. It re looped again and this time Mai focused her attention on the girl again. She was running, laughing playing with a red…ball. Then she was falling, screaming. The train came fast.

The tape re looped again.

"Play it at a slower paste," Naru whispered.

The girl was laughing playing with a red ball, slowly she ran past the platform near the edge. Then she was screaming then Mai heard it. Bou-san gasped, "Those sounds, their Buddhist mantras!" he shouted.

"No," Naru whispered, "Lin slow it down even more."

Lin-san nodded, Mai felt her heart pounding in her chest. There was a low resounding sound in the back ground.

The girl was running a step at a time, she was smiling…playing with a red ball…slowly but surely she reached the end of the platform. Then she was falling, Mai gasped when she heard a low hum like a tune playing in the back ground.

"It's a poem…"Bou-san whispered.

"Kokoro no Kokoro no, Tabetai, oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai." Mai said, the lyrics of the poem song.

"Slow it down even more," Naru ordered and Lin did it.

"There!" Bou-san shouted pointing at the ball.

The girl was playing with the ball, she was approaching the track, the scene played in slow mo, the poem song now clearly heard, the ball bouncing, bouncing closer to the edge of the plat form. Then…it disappeared.

"Tabetai," the eerie song ended and Mai pulled back gasping.

The red ball…

"Kokoro no Kokoro no, Tabetai, oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai."

"So this is where Mai saw the girl disappear, huh," Ayako said to the young girl who stood beside her. Hara Masako raised her sleeve Kimono to her nose and looked at the spot where Mai and her friend Mari had once stood.

"The space is warped," she muttered, "There are too many smells."

"Smells?" Ayako said snorting, "I don't smell anything."

"That's because unlike me, your nose is a pitiful ugly thing," Masako answered back snidely.

"Why you little-"Ayako shouted but was cut off when a young blonde hair priest came running towards them. John Brown had something in his hands, a yellow folder that looked sort of important. "What is that?" Ayako asked the panting priest who pulled out the contents of the folder.

"In the past few months, the train manager has been going around taking photos of the platform…its his hobby…he told me, but it was more of a quest," John said, placing the photos on the seats. The colored photos did not lie.

"He said sometimes his stuff would hear something thudding on the ground beside them, but when they turn nothing would be there. Sometimes during late night shifts, loud banging noises could be heard throughout the platform but the source of the noise could not be found…he also mentioned that the sounds sounded something like a bouncing ball."

Ayako's eyes widened and Masako picked one of the photos up. Sure enough, between the masses of people, moving about on this busy platform there was a red blur caught in the photos. This red blur seemed to be moving up and down…as if bouncing on the spot.

"What is this?" Masako asked.

"I think I know what it is," Ayako whispered, picking up a photo.

John gasped, there in the photo, perfectly bouncing in between two people who looked like they didn't notice it…was a red ball.


	3. File 1 Train 3

Ok, here's you go guys chapter 3. I did say I was going to do a 100 case files, yep and I plan on carrying that out…so forgive me if the chapters go all the way up to 300. I highly doubt so but… Well, one can dream. My name is Riddlefiddleai, and I've written 3 stories previously on ghost hunt, if you would like please feel free to check them out. So enough of my ramblings and on with the story.

File 1#

Train 3

Discovery

"And there you have, the connections to all the cases is linked to this red ball," Ayako said pushing the photographs the train manager took on the train platform to Naru. They were all seated in the office. Shibuya Psychic research, located in the middle of Shinjuku was one of the more famous ghost investigators squads out there. Since solving a few blood curling cases, the team had managed to earn itself more than a fair share of public recognition among the people who knew the cult.

Mai looked at the photographs on the table, picking it up. "What does this mean?" she asked, "Can this help…Mari is still missing!"

"Calm down Mai," Masako chided, "Whining and worrying wouldn't help with anything."

"What do you know…she's not your friend," Mai muttered, sitting down again. Mari had been missing for 3 days. Her story was a huge hit on the news and her parents had filed a police report. Now the station where Mari had disappeared from has become famous.

"Well, now that the police is involved in this too, wouldn't we be disallowed from investigating the spot," Bou-san said, looking at the television which had been switched on. Mari's face flashed across the screen and numerous experts gave their take on the case. Mai felt her eyes tearing up again but she wiped it away.

"No, I have been given permission to investigate the case, so naturally that has been taken care of," Masako said, sitting down next to Naru. She took the photograph in her hands and stared at it. "The ball reminds me of Temari." John spoke, pointing to the picture he was looking at in the computer.

"Temari?" Mai asked. "What's that?"

A gasps went round the room and each member looked at Mai with a shocked look on their faces. "You!" Masako said pointing an accusing finger at Mai, "are you Japanese?"

Mai looked at around confused, 'What? No seriously what are they?"

"You should have played with it at least once," Ayako said amazed, "My, my, my, I never met a girl who hasn't played with one, at least once."

"That was during your generation," Masako muttered, causing Ayako to flare up and Bou-san to laugh. Naru slaps the photographs he was holding on the table in irritation and he turns to Mai.

"A Temari is something children used to play with, in the past. A type of Japanese ball originally woven using old pieces of Kimono, it later became a sort of art. The balls children played with were usually rather plain; however the balls displayed for art were woven with intricate design that could be sold for millions of dollars." Naru explained before standing up and walking over to John who was at the computer.

"Also, since ancient times the Temari balls have been a sort of good luck charm, mother's would wrap a piece of paper inside the Temari…a charm that would never be revealed to their children. It is said that this ensures their children's good well being."

Mai raised the photograph with the red ball. It was red but there were a few patterns woven in between it. Sure enough, it did look similar to the ball John had shown them on the computer. "Temari balls have also been known to be fitted with bells. Children in the past used to sing poems while bouncing the Temari to the rhythm of the songs on the ground."

Bou-san gasped, "Maybe what we're dealing with is a ghost of a lost child who kidnaps woman who she or he has mistaken for a mother."

There was a long silence, before Naru shook his head and pulled away from the computer Lin had been working on. "There has been another disappearance, and this time, the one who went missing is a man."

_**The man stared at the track with a hopeless face. His expression was blank and yet his eyes were filled with pain and turmoil. "If only I could disappear," he had thought to himself. He had told himself that for years. Yet he did not, and the turmoil in him got bigger and bigger. The man was suffering from something he did not know. He had lost a wife, a daughter. He had lost his job. He had lost a roof and now was wandering the streets with nothing but a business suit…the man had felt that he had lost everything.**_

"_**There is no point in living anymore," he had told himself, countless times, however he had lived. As his life spiraled out of control, the man had found himself standing on the platform of the train station. Standing at the edge he had looked out on the track, few dozen trains passed; people too passed him in a blur. Yet all the man could see was the tracks and a ball.**_

_**It was strange, the red ball that bounced up and down on the tracks itself. It was almost hypnotic as if calling to him. The ball bounces like no other ball, it kept a steady pace as if bouncing to a rhythm of a song. A slow haunting song that seemed to have floated steadily into his mind. **_

"_**Kokoro no," he sung softly, humming the slow haunting tune, "Kokoro no, Tabetai…oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai."**_

_**A bell rang somewhere and the high pitch sound of the Shinobue rang somewhere. A large gust of wind blew past and the ball on the track bounced high up into the air and then towards him.**_

"_**Aaaaaaa…"**_

"Hara-san how nice to see you again," the train manager spoke when he saw the girl approached him. Mai noticed the difference in attitude towards her and to Masako and immediately labeled the train manager to be both a prejudice and bias person.

"Stop loitering around the corner," Masako shouted at Mai who gave an irritated frown and followed the girl who was walking ahead of her. They were back on the tracks, however this time I was just Masako and her.

"_I would decide the jobs, it would seem the situation has taken a toll for the worst," Naru had said in the office. "So we would need to find out more about the situation…John I would like you to contact Yasuhara-san and I want both of you to research more about Temari balls…and maybe supernatural cases concerning them, Bou-san and Matsuzaki-san I would like you to head down to the police station, we need to know exactly how many people disappeared from that train station."_

_Naru had paused for a while before turning to both Mai and Masako._

"_Oh no, no, no," Mai had said once she saw the glint in his eyes._

"_Masako and Mai I would like you two to visit the train station."_

"_What, why with her!" Masako had demanded an answer._

"_You two are the ones with the supernatural ability," Naru explained, "If you sense anything, it would prove helpful."_

"_But-"_

"_No more buts," Naru had told her and went back towards Lin._

Mai couldn't have agreed with Naru more…however, placing her with Masako was unbelievable. The only time she had spoken to Masako personally was back in the mansion of blood (episode 18-21). There was an awkward silence before Mai decided to break the silence.

"Err…so you sensed anything yet?" she asked the girl.

The girl with black short hair, pale porcelain like facial features turned to Mai. "I should be asking you the same question."

Mai rubbed the back of her head and then places her hand on her chest. There was numbing sensation in her chest; it has been there ever since Mari disappeared. The feeling was the same as when her mother or father had died. It was a familiar feeling of both fear mixed with uncertainty.

"No, I feel nothing," Mai told Masako, who looked away and raised her kimono to her nose. 'Well aren't you useless," she told Mai who narrowed her eyes in irritation.

"Then have you sensed anything!" Mai retorted and Masako raised her head. "I smell odors not of this world."

A look of confusion appeared on Mai's face. A smell? Mai thought. She sniffed hard and still all she smelt was the subtle odor of diesel. "What kind of smells?" she asked.

"I don't know, it smells different…it's a subtle pungent smell, it doesn't smell bad neither does it smell good. Sometimes its faint but sometimes it's strong. It's like the smell moves, as if walking through the platform."

Mai sniffed again and shrugged, "I can't smell anything."

Masako sighed in frustration, "Well that's because your nose isn't as refined as mine." She answered.

"Why you-"Mai shouted but paused, she gasped turning.

"You hear that!" she shouted at Masako who shook her head.

"Heard what?" Masako asked. Mai ran to the spot where she heard it. "A bell, I heard a bell."

"Oh please Mai that could have been anything," Masako muttered, "The train's conductor uses bells to warn people of incoming train."

"No," Mai said shaking her head, "A bell; a bell ringing softly but faintly…THERE!"

Mai ran and Masako sighed walking after her. "Mai, I'm telling you, if you heard it I would have h-"

A faint ringing voice sounded throughout the station. Murmurs and whispers broke out through the crowds of people waiting by the platform. "Did you hear that?" they asked each other. Masako's eyes widened. The eerie ringing sounded like funeral bells used it Buddhist rites.

She reached Mai who was standing fixated on the spot where her friend disappeared.

"Look," she told Masako pointing at the track. "It's the ball."

Masako turned to look at the track. 'What ball?" she asked. She saw nothing. Then she gasped, pulling her kimono sleeves close to her nostrils. There that smell again. It was strong, so strong it burnt the insides of her nose.

"Mai do you smell that?" Masako asked, turning to look at the girl who stood beside her.

"Mai?"

Masako gave out a warning as Mai took a step off the edge of the platform.

The train conductor rang his bell and a train rushes forward.

A Shinobue is a classical ancient Japanese flute. You can hear how it sounds like from YouTube. Basically its give out a strange yet mysterious high pitched sound. If you have watched inuyasha and listen to some of the ost's you would have heard the Shinobue.

A Temari is a sort of ball woven together with threads; they are woven in an intricate manner. Some balls have beautiful colorful patterns woven onto them. The Temari is also a type of good luck charm that is passed from parent to child. The parent would never reveal the charm that they have placed in the ball to the child. This is to ensure that the charm would work.

Also, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and well…just prepare yourself for your next chapter.

P.S the author scared herself writing chapter 2 of the story…never write it in the middle of the night with the Shinobue music playing in the background.


	4. File 1 Train 4

Ok fourth chapter…I hope I made it interesting. And well since I decided to do a 100 stories the stories wouldn't be as long as my 20+ chapters stories, probably half of that. Well anyway enjoy…of yes for those who don't know what Taimuparadokkusu is, don't bother trying to use the Google translator *smirks*

Also this might be a little late but here-

GHOST HUNT DOES NOT BELONG TO ME; IT BELONGS TO THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR AND A FEW GHOSTS.

File 1 #

Train 4

The missing

"Just 2 weeks ago, a girl by the name of Kanako Azumi, 15 years old disappeared from the platform; her parents had filed a report one week after her disappearance." The police told both Bou-san and Ayako. He had looked at them skeptically at first but soon opened up to them.

"It's a cold case," the police man name, Harumi Yasu told the two exorcists.

'What had taken them to report the matter?" Bou-san asked, raising his eye brow. A week after she disappeared her parents reported her missing. Wasn't that too long? Shouldn't her parents be more worried about her.

"Kanako Azumi lives alone in a one room apartment; her parents had certain issues…so Azumi-Chan lives alone." Yasu told them. Bou-san bit his lips.

"Any other disappearance?" Ayako asked the police who looked up at them, before rubbing his head.

"Well this is information between you and me, but just a week ago after Azumi-Chan's parents came to report her disappearance a 4 year old boy by the name of Otani Takashi was reported missing." He said sighing, "Apparently he was walking on the platform with his mother when she received a call. The call she told us was strange…only one word was whispered into her ears, 'Taimuparadokkusu' she told us…. The next thing she knew she heard a sharp sound…like a sort of whistle, but it was kind of melodic. She turned and her son was no longer there."

"Why hasn't this been reported in the news?" Bou-san asked puzzled by the lack of attention to this case. The policeman shook his head, "We suspect that the boy had already died."

"What!" Ayako and Bou-san said together. Yasu stroke his head and pulled out a file from underneath his table.

"Just 3 days ago, after the disappearance of Mari Kurosawa, a few blood stains were found a few kilometers down the track. We tested the blood sample and the blood type of the samples matches Otani's blood type."

Ayako snorted, "Then doesn't that mean that Otani is hurt, he might not be dead."

Yasu peered at the woman before pulling out a picture from the file. Bou-san took it up, curious to find a photograph of the train track. There was nothing in it, just the track and the green grass that surrounded the track. As it was dark the picture was kind of blurred. Bou-san could only see a few meters of track and grasses patches surrounding the track.

"What is this?" he asked the policeman, who glanced grimly at the corner of the picture.

"If it weren't for this photo…we might have never found the blood stains," he told them. Bou-san raised the photo, squinting his eye to focus on the part where the policeman was looking at. He heard Ayako draw back a sharp breath, and gripped hard onto his hand, sinking her sharp fingernails deep into his flesh.

"What's your problem woman?" Bou-san shouted in pain, dropping the photo onto the floor.

"Look," Ayako whispered. Bou-san picked the photo up from the floor, his flesh still throbbing from the pain. He looked at the photo again and his blood ran cold. He placed the photo gently on the table before looking at the policeman.

"Sometimes, a case like this shows up once in a while…and sometimes, it's very unsettling."

"You got that right," Bou-san whispered, his eyes going back to the photo.

There hidden in the corner, was a faint shadow figure. It was black yet it had shape. The dim light of the photo brought out the deep darkness it gave out. The figure had eyes that could hardly be seen.

"Otani," Ayako whispered.

Sure enough the figure of a small boy stood at the edge of the track, beckoning to them.

"**Mai, Mai," the voice whispered into Mai's ear. Mai winced before opening her eyes. Where…where was she? It was dark all around her, not a shred of light existed…and yet Mai could see her hands and her legs. She touched herself and realized she could feel. She was emitting her own light.**

**Somewhere a strange sharp sound was heard…yet it was a melodious sound with direction. It sounded like Shinobue…an ancient Japanese flute that she had heard during a culture festival her school had brought her too. The melody was high pitched in sound yet the chords seem to resonate in her, making it seem haunting. **

"**Mai," a voice whispered behind her and she turned. She was shocked to find Naru. He was smiling at her, a warm and gentle smile. Mai felt like she was going to cry. It was then that she realized that she was scared…very scared.**

"**Naru," she whispered walking over to him. Naru raised his hand and she took it gripping it tightly. They walked through the darkness that wrapped around them. The sound of the Shinobue unsettling but by Naru's side Mai wasn't so scared. **

"**Where are we Naru?" Mai asked. Naru did not answer her, instead he lead her. Somehow it was getting colder and colder. Naru's hands too were cold. Mai breathed out and was surprise to see a slow white fog escaping her lips.  
"Naru?" Mai whispered. **

"**Kokoro no," Naru sang, sending chills down Mai's spine. "Kokoro no, Tabetai."**

"**What on earth are you singing Naru?" Mai whispered.**

"**It's a song," Naru told her and a cold wind swept past. Mai shrieked and covered her eyes with her free hand. When she opened them again, she winced. It was bright, too bright. Mai slowly opened her eyes again and found herself standing in the midst of a yellow flower field.**

**The sky above her was blue, too blue. The clouds were huge, big and puffy. They were moving slowly. Somewhere a bird chirped, a gentle wind blew past making the yellow field of flowers sway gently.**

**Somehow all was calm and peaceful. The fear Mai had dissipated and she let go of Naru's hands, walking through the flowers. **

"**What is this place?" she asked Naru. **

**There was no answer. Mai turned and was shocked to see that the Naru who was once there had disappeared. "Naru?" she shouted, her voice echoing through the flower fields. Fear overtook Mai when she heard the sharp sound of the Shinobue piercing the calm air.**

"**NARU!" Mai screamed.**

**Still nobody appeared. Wake up, Mai told herself, please, she told herself, wake up! She pinched herself and found that it hurt. This was not a dream.**

**The soft ringing of bells broke through the air. Mai looked up alarmed. There in front of her was Mari. Mai gasped and was about to call out to Mari when the wind blew past. Something caught Mai's attention. The yellow flowers swayed, rustling…the Shinobue sounded and Mai saw the red thread that was curled around Mari's neck. It was a long thread that seemed too stretched out behind Mari like a dog leash. **

**Mari was walking slowly, as if she was being controlled. Her face was covered with her long black hair. There was an almost demented way she moved, slowly yet deliberately. **

**Mai felt fear caught in her throat, she could not utter a sound. **

"**Mari…" she thought. **

**The girl stopped walking suddenly and raised her head into the sky. The thread around her neck grew taunt and Mai cried out worried for her friend…when…**

"**AaaaaaaAhrrroooeee…" a deep rasping came from within the space. Mai clasped her hands over her ears bending down. It was a horrible sound, a sound of death. **

"**Stop," she whispered, "Make it stop…Naru!" she screamed.**

**The noise stopped and Mai felt tears leaking from her eyes. "MARI!" she cried.**

"**You called,"**

**Mai gasped, looking up. Mari had appeared before her. Her hair still covering her face, her hands limp by her side, her back arched forward. **

"**You called?" Mari's voice echoed from within her. **

'**M…Mari?" Mai whispered. There was a strange creaking sound when Mari moved her head. "You called…Mai?" Mari said again…in a strange childish voice. **

"**Come home, Mari." Mai manage to utter.**

**There was a deep pause. Mai felt her heart thumping hard in her chest. Something was strange, strange about this Mari. Then she noticed, the red string wrapped around Mari's neck. A string so red, so red it seemed to have been stained with blood. The string was dripping onto the yellow flowers and as it did so…it stained the yellow flowers a deep red.**

"**You're not Mari," Mai whispered as the realization hit her hard.**

**Mari's head went closer to Mai's…their noses were touching. Mai trembled…a sweet sickening smell like death was emitting from Mari. "Oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai," she whispered. Before Mai could scream, Mari had lunges forward, her mouth opening wide. Her teeth were sharp, so sharp it looked like knives that glint in the sunlight.**

"**Tabetai!" **

**Mai felt the large mouth engulfing her. A deep darkness took over and before Mai knew it felt the sharp pain sinking into her neck.**

"**AaaaaaaAhrrroooeee…"**

"There had been several supernatural cases involving Temari balls…but most of the time these cases are positive…" John Brown reported to the expressionless boy that stood behind him. His partner Yasuhara-san was seating on the chair, in his hand was a Temari ball that he had brought from his home.

"Temari balls are known to contain sprits in them," Yasuhara-san explained, he took the ball in his hand and placed it on the table. "Souls of demi-gods or good spirits, these in turn; turn into the children guardian spirits."

"Though in certain terms, I do not believe in this hoo-ha," Yasuhara-san said laughing.

"My family heirloom here has been passed down through generation…it is said to have protected us for many generations," Yasuhara-san holding up the Temari ball.

John laughed nervously as Yasuhara-san threw the ball at Naru who caught it. "It's a rather red ball," Naru said. Yasuhara-san laughed, "Similar or would you say…an exact replica of the supernatural Temari ball that seem to be bouncing throughout the very station you speak off."

Naru stared at the ball before releasing it, letting it bounced on the floor.

A bell rang causing shivers to go up John's spine. The bell came from a small bell that hung by the ball's side. "This ball was made by a famous artist known as Homura Takashi in the 1800's," Yasuhara explained, "He made many Temari balls using red thread…though because of the color many people saw his red balls as cursed objects…they said he dipped the thread in blood before sewing the ball."

"That's creepy," John agreed and Yasuhara-san shook his head.

"However, after his death, his Temari balls became a work of art, many sort his balls…as they could make loads of money from them, my family happen to get a hold of one of his Temari pieces…and here it is."

"Homura Takashi, huh," Naru said.

A ball made with the threads dipped in blood…supposedly.

"Lin," he spoke next, placing the ball on the desk, "We're visiting the station."

"_**MAI!"**_

Mai jolted and realized that she lying flat on the platform. Masako was above her pressing her down, a worried look was plastered on her face. People were staring at them, some were whispering others laughing at their position.

"What? What?" Mai asked, confused.

Masako sighed as though relieved. She stood up and dusted her kimono. "Stand up you idiot," Masako told her harshly. Mai frowned, confused at the situation she was in. She got up slowly, before wincing, swaying when she stood up.

"Mai!" Masako called out her name alarmed. She caught Mai as she stumbled.

"What's the matter with you, first you tried to kill yourself and now this!" Masako shouted.

"Kill myself?" Mai whispered. Her eyes widened and she gasped, "The ball!" she shouted. She pushed Masako's supporting shoulder away and ran towards the edge of the platform. Her heart was pounding hard…real hard.

"What's the matter?" Masako asked, walking quickly towards Mai's side afraid that Mai might jump in again.

Mai clutches her ear, there was a strange whirling sound, a sharp high pitched whirling sound. It got louder and louder and louder. Mai winced, drawing back into herself, shivering.

"Mai…Mai! What's wrong," Masako asked, shaking the girl. "Ok that's it we're calling the ambulance."

Mai presses her hand harder against her ears, it hurt really bad.

"Aaaaa…" she cried out in pain. The sound got louder and louder, Mai was about to scream when the noise disappeared suddenly. Mai surprised yet scared, redrew her hands off her ears…still trembling.  
"Mai, if you do not tell me what's going on I'm going to call the mental insitidue!" Masako scolded her.

"It's there," Mai whispered, she pointed to a pillar. She had heard it…the whispers, the cries that rang in her ear…screaming at her.

There was a red thread tied round the pillar like a god leash. Mai ran towards the pillar and found excess thread hanging behind the pillar. "Follow it!" Mai shouted to Masako grabbing the alarmed girl.

"What's going on?" Masako shouted running after Mai who had already ran out of the platform and was running out of the station. Mai's heart was pounding as the red thread lead them further out, out of the station and very soon they were running beside the train tracks. A train passed them as they ran and suddenly Mai found the end of the thread tied around a long wooden rod stuck into the grass beside the train track.

Masako who neared Mai was panting. "Oh, this better be worth it," she muttered. Before she gasped and pulled her kimono close to her nose. It was a sickly sweet smell, so sweet it smelled like rotten meat. A smell she knew all too well.

"Do you smell that?" she whispered to Mai, who had been rooted to the spot, too shocked for words. A train passed by rattling as it went. A wind blew past, blowing the long grass causing them to sway. The afternoon crickets echoed their song;

The sun beat down on the dead body that lay in the grass.

"No…" Mai whispered. Masako pulled out her hand phone and dialed.

"Hello, yes, is this the police, yes I would like to report a case…"

"Mari…no…" Mai whispered, sinking to her knees.

HEEHEHEHEHEHEE get ready for the next chapter folks : D hope you enjoyed it.


	5. File 1 Train 5

To summaries this chapter well…

Naru does Maths: D

File 1 #

Train 5

Kanako

**The girl remembered happy days, days where they would laugh and cry together. Days where Mama would pat her to sleep and Papa would sing her a lullaby. **

"**Mama, look," the young girl said happily to her mother. She had a drawing in her hand, and on it were three human stick figures that held each other closely. Her mother barely looked at it. "Don't bother me Kanako," the woman said, "I'm cooking."**

**The little girl frowned and folded her drawing, she ran out of the kitchen and into the living room where her father sat, reading a newspaper. "Papa!" she shouted happily going to him, "Look Papa, look!" **

**She bumped into him accidently pushing the paper into his face. A sudden sharp pain arose from the side of her face. The little girl was on the floor, her father screaming at her…words she could not understand. "Mama," the little girl whispered uncertainly, she looked at the screaming man in front of her, "Papa?"**

"**What do you think you're doing you disobedient girl, how dare you hurt me!" he screamed. He picked up the drawing and tore it. **

"**Mom, I'm home," the girl whispered, now in elementary school. Her mother stood in the kitchen starring up at the sky from the vendera. "Mom," the girl said louder, "I'm home…where is Dad?"**

**Her mother did not answer…**

**Her Dad never came home that night.**

**The girl never cried. **

"**You were seeing another woman weren't you! After all these years!" the woman who was her mother shouted at the man who was her father. The girl wearing a middle school uniform took refuge in the cupboard wrapped up in a blanket. Another crashed occurred outside her sanctuary. Broken bits of glass entered it and laid there.**

"**I told you I did not go out with her you stupid woman!" **

"**I saw you! Your daughter saw you! You ruined our family!" **

**There was another crash, a woman sobbing and a man yelling something harshly. The girl closed her eyes, hugging her knees to her chest, pulling the blanket over herself…a lone tear rolled down her cheeks.**

"**His with that woman again, Kanako," the woman told her. The girl wearing her high school uniform strolled into the apartment, closing the doors. "I know it Kanako…his with that woman again."**

**The girl sat at the dining table, the woman sat opposite her…her hands cupped over her forehead, pressed together ever so tightly. She wouldn't look up, wouldn't look at her own daughter. "It's all his fault, it's all his fault, it's all his fault, it's all his fault…" the woman whispered over and over again. "It's all his fault, it's all his fault, it's all his fault…"**

**The girl sat in a broken down apartment. She had bought it with her own money…finally she had been freed. She sat on the bed, looking up into the night sky. The nightmare has finally ended…she was free.**

"**Azumi-Chan, why aren't you trying harder…your grades are dropping and you're skipping extra curriculum activities! You got to get your act together!"**

"**Yes, teacher," the girl whispered.**

**She worked, she studied, she went for activities, she worked, she studied, she went for activities…day after day, she tried harder and harder and harder.**

"**Azumi-Chan is something wrong?" her classmates asked her.**

"**It's nothing," she had answered, smiling, feeling her heart clenching as she did so.**

"**Are you sick, Azumi-Chan?"**

'**No, I guess I'm just tired," she said, her heart was slowly dying. **

"**Why aren't you trying your best?"**

**I am…she told him, screaming in her head, I am!**

"**We're going to divorce,"**

"**Ok." She whispered. **

**The girl entered her apartment it was dark. A dark ominous feeling stuck in her chest. Something she couldn't describe, something ugly. Her eyes felt red, felt hot. What is this? She asked herself, what it that she is feeling…**

**Tear it out; she wants to tear it out!**

**The girl threw her bag on the floor, flung the vase on the table onto the wall. It crashed and broke into little pieces. Tears rolled down her eyes and she picked up a chair and slammed it against the floor many times over.**

**It hurt, it hurt **

_**It hurt so bad**_

**Make it stop! **

**The girl collapsed on the floor, feeling the sharp edges of the broke vase cutting her skin…feeling the warm blood flowed out. She was panting hard…the feeling just wouldn't go away.**

**The train passed overhead, rattling her broken derelict apartment. **

_**I'm tired…**_

_**I'm tired…really tired, tired…I couldn't do anything, I'm tired…why must this happen to me…why did this happen. I'm tired. I'm trying my best, **_

_**I was supposed to be free**_

_**What is happening?**_

_**I'm tired…**_

_**I'm tired…**_

_**Tired, tired, tired, tired, tired, tired, tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_**tired,**_

_How am I suppose to feel_

**The girl gasped and pulled the blanket off her. She ran out of her apartment. The voices in her head wouldn't stop. The pain in her chest was tearing her apart. She ran faster and faster. **

**The train tracks stood before her…what was she doing here?**

**A high pitch whistle, like a flute resounded in her ears. It was a sweet melody that seem to haunt her mind and soul. "Come," a voice whispered in her ear. A bell rang and Kanako Azumi found herself staring at a red ball.**

**It was bouncing on the track…slowly, it was hypnotic. The bell that hung at its side rang. **

**A train was coming, the ball was bouncing…somebody was shouting.**

**The girl realized she remembered none of those happy days…when Mama patted her to sleep, or when Papa sung her a lullaby. **

"**Aaaaaaa…"**

"**Come."**

"The girl you found on the grass patch beside the track was not Mari Kurosawa," Naru told Mai, who was sitting in an ambulance, wrapped in a blue blanket.

"Really," Mai whispered and Naru nodded, looking at the countless police cars that surrounded the area. Because of the incident, the police had taken up Kanako Azumi's cold case again. After all, she was found dead, lying near the train station where she had disappeared from.

The case already sinister had turned morbid. Naru looked at the red headed girl that sat before him. When Lin and him had arrived at the station a distraught Masako had lead them calmly to the scene of crime, filling him with information of what had happened.

Mai had an encounter with a not so pleasant creature of the supernatural. What it was, Naru had a clue…but what it was after was the key to solving the puzzle. Mai who had been hysterical at first had calmed down considerably after finding out that the body did not belong to Mari…her good friend but that of a 15 year old girl named Kanako Azumi.

"Mai are you alright!" Bou-san shouted, the tall lanky man with the dyed brown hair ran towards the ambulance Mai was in. Naru watched as both Ayako and Bou-san fussed over Mai who was smiling and telling them everything was alright. Naru gave a sigh…

The girl…she was hiding her true feelings again.

He'll ask her what she had experienced later…by hook or by crook but now to more pressing issues. "Any luck with your investigations?" he asked the two exorcist who nodded. Ayako brought out a file from her large handbag she carried and gave it to Naru who opened and studies the contents.

4 missing cases from the same station…in which all happened in the 2 weeks interval. The first to disappear was Kanako Azumi…2 weeks later she was found dead on this very track. The second to go missing was a boy name Otani Takashi, a 4 year old boy…who was thought to be dead. The 3rd to go missing was Mari Kurosawa, she hasn't been found yet. And the 4th was a man named Kitami Futami, a 47 year old man who was homeless.

2 weeks interval…one death…

He can't be sure yet, but he was sure of one thing.

"Taimuparadokkusu," he said. "You should all know what it means."

"A time paradox?" Bou-san asked. Mai's eyes widened, "I heard it!" she said, "I heard it before Mari disappeared."

Naru took the tape that Mai and Bou-san had reviewed before out of his pocket. "If my theory is right, this tape should prove everything."

The members of the ghost hunt team sat in a small room the train manager had loaned them. Inside were a VCR tape player and a few dozen screens. Lin who was holding a camera was pointing it directly to the screens of the television that surrounded this small room.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ayako asked, slightly annoyed that she had to crammed in with so many people in this tiny suffocating room.

"Are you ready Lin?" Naru asked the tall stoic man who nodded. Naru played the tape, looping the moment when Mari spoke before disappearing. The team gasped as the facial expression changed. This time, Mai and Bou-san noticed that they were getting more desperate. Lin-san was taken rapid photos of the scene that happened on the screen.

The expressions were changing dramatically.

"It's as if she's screaming," Masako whispered, Ayako turned away as Mari's face turned completely black. Mai trembled…the voice in her ears getting louder and louder. It was happening again, the noises, whispering, whispering words she cannot understand.

"Aaaaaa Ahhhherro kkkkeeeemmm kkkeeemmmmmmm iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii…."

"Mai, what's wrong," Naru said noticing Mai's pained expression.

"Taniyama-Chan?" John who was sat beside her grabs her shoulder and shook it. The voices stopped just in time for the screen to pause. Ayako gave a shriek and Bou-san fell back from his chair. Masako raised her kimono to her nose and John looked disturbed. Naru stared blankly at the screen…which had paused by itself.

Mari's black face was looking at them…her eyes were there but it cannot be seen clearly. Bou-san gasped, "It's just like photograph the police man took of Otani!" he shouted.

The figure opened its mouth and words poured out from the speakers, Mai begun to tremble again furiously.

"Aaaaaaa Ahhhherro Kkkkeeeemmm kkkkeeeemmm iiiii…."

Naru ejected the tape and turned to Lin who set the camera down and immediately connected the camera to the monitor.

"This is a classic example of a time paradox," he said, calmly. Lin pressed a button and the pictures he took appeared on the screen. The pictures revealed the various and different forms of Mari's expressions. "The disappearance happened at the same time, however each scene is different…it is as if a moment in time has been cut out and redone many times over."

"Cronos," Naru whispered and Mai felt her heart beat faster. "The ancient Greek god, son of Uranus…father of Zeus, the father of chaos time."

"Time is in a continuous loop for our victims. They are reliving the same time over and over again…and each time they do so, they are crying out desperately for help."

"Wait!" Bou-san said, the monk's brain was spinning, "You're telling us what we're dealing with here is a being…that can manipulate time?"

Naru hesitated for a moment before nodding, "A more common term would be the ability to extract time out of a time space."

"Time paradox," John whispered.

Ayako starts to laugh nervously, placing her left hand on her hips and running her right hand through her hair. "How is that possible, how could a being manipulate time…I have never heard of anything like this!"

Naru expressionless expression turns to one of irritation. "Time was never one that flowed continuously, take the day for example," Naru started, "Each day is separate from each day…each day, week, and month restarts itself. Time has never been connected, instead it comes in parts."

"Imagine a continuous line that flowed naturally, then you take a knife and cut it into segments…that would represent time."

"That is absurd," Ayako muttered.

Naru snorted, took a piece of paper from the table and pulled a pen from his pockets. He drew a circle in the middle of the paper. "This," he said, "Represents the Earth. To calculate the circumference of the Earth we would need to take Pi times the diameter of Earth in its relatively 2-d shape. If we place the Earth diameter to be A. Then the circumference of the Earth would be A times Pi."

"Matsuzaki-san, do you know the answer to Pi?"

Ayako frowned before shaking her head.

"Nobody does, it's an infinite number that has gone on and on…no one knows the end to it. How many hours, days, or months does it take to go round the Earth? No one can tell simply because if you rotate around the Earth; the time for each rotation cannot be measured accurately…no one knows where to start and no one knows where to end…Earth has no starting point because Earth has never been measured accurately. Why? Because Pi can never be measured, Earth size is never accurate. Where do these infinite numbers go too? Where do they exist, if they cannot exist in our world…we simply do not know. Time is probably as infinite as Pi. We know nothing of it…to say that time paradox is not possible is too be ignorant."

There was a deep silence around the room. Naru crushed the piece of paper he had drew on and threw it into the bin.

"Well that is probably the most complicated shit I have heard in years!" Bou-san shouted.

Masako stood up suddenly, her eyes wide as if she had just realized something.

"Masako?" John's voice sounded.

"Kazuya," Masako muttered, "The red ball…it's shaped like the Earth."

A sharp sound split the silence in the room. A sharp melodious sound of a Shinobue flute. "What the hell is going on?" Bou-san screamed.

"Silence, listen!" Masako shouted.

Alarmed the group kept silent, the thudding in Mai's chest got faster, the whispers in her ear getting louder and louder.

_Thump_…

There was a noise outside their little room. A noise just beyond their door.

_Thump…_

The light flickered and the screens begun to give off static.

_Thump…_

A steady beat was coming from outside their door. The sound of rubber hitting concrete. No doubt everybody in the room knew what it was.

Suddenly the lights went out, darkness engulfed the room. It begun to get colder, Mai felt dizzy from her fear. The room was as dark…as the dream she had. Dark, too dark…

"Aaaaa…" a voice sounded a deep sinister voice.

_Thump…_

Mai blinked, a red shape had flashed pass the corner of her eyes.

_Thump…_

Mai felt somebody walking closer towards her.

_Thump…_

A deep red flashed again across her vision…

It was as if it was circling around the room…like sharks…waiting.

_Thump…_

"Come…"

Mai hardly had time to blink. She drew a sharp breath as the face of a little boy appeared before her. She fell back feeling herself hitting cold hard ground.

"Mai!" a sharp voice sounded.

Mai blinked and all of a sudden there was light again. She saw Bou-san hovering above her, Naru holding onto her and Masako shouting something she cannot hear. Too tired from fear, Mai close her eyes, subjecting to sleep.

"**Homura Takashi,"**

Osamu Yasuhara-san spoke aloud as he read the archives his grandmother had so generously given to him. The red ball that his family had inherited stood before him. "Made in 1878, a true relic of the past indeed," Yasuhara-san whispered.

"I'm sorry, Homura-san," he said, "but to uncover your secret I guess this is necessary."

He pulled out a knife and with it used it to gently cut away the red threads that binds the ball. The threads tore apart slowly…and like human flesh that it revealed something. A thin piece of paper to Yasuhara-san's amazement.

The paper was not a charm, instead it was written in the writing style of the old era. Yasuhara picked it up and opened it slowly. Concealed and preserved in the ball, the old piece of yellowed paper opened easily. Yasuhara scanned the writing, it was hard to read at first, but he got the hang of it after a while.

"To my wife," Yasuhara-san whispered softly reading from the letter, "I'm sorry I could not protect our daughter…due to my incoherent temper and nature, she has left me. She has left me to be with you. You had wanted her to live, grow into a beautiful woman to be married and to live a happy life…but she could not and her last moments were filled with one of terror. I do not ask for your forgiveness, neither do I ask for you not to resent me…

I'm sorry. I have failed to protect her…I have failed as a father…I am not even human…"

Yasuhara-san's eyes widened as he read the last sentence.

"I-"

_**So yep, this is chapter 5 : D progressing smoothly yep…forgive me if you do not find this to be as creepy. I would try my hardest in the next chapter. And I would use the opportunity here to explain what Naru had explained in the paragraphs above.**_

_**This is for my own ego…and you do not need to read this :D**_

_**Relatively the world is a simply spherical shape and the simple 2-d shape of all spheres is a circle. Since pi is something you use to calculate measurements of all circle like things, I have come to a conclusion that the reason why time paradox appears and the reason for many disappearance is that the infinite numbers that cannot be calculated are the cause of all dimensional rifts in the world. Let's take for an example that the diameter of Earth is 3. So technically the earth circumference would be 3pi. However, pi is equals to 3.142….**_

_**So technically, what we can measure accurately is 3 times 3**_

_**What we cannot measure is the infinite number that comes after the number 3 of pi. Therefore, this inaccurate number source leads to an inconsistent calculation of time and space.**_

_**I do not know if I'm talking sense but I hope you enjoyed the chapter. **_


	6. File 1 Train 6

Well, here's chapter 6 we're reaching the climax, thanks for all your reviews: D hope you enjoy this chapter. Sorry for not updating during the weekends, or Monday, I was sick with fever. Tonsillitis they say.

File 1#

Train 6

Sin

**One year ago**

"And so the main reason while you're sitting here and sulking is because I ate your sandwich," Mari Kurosawa said amused by the red headed girl who was seated on the floor before her.

'What are you doing here," Mai spat at the pretty looking girl that stood above her. There was a mischievous smirk on her face, one that has always annoyed Mai since the very start of the school term. "I'm sorry," the girl suddenly said squatting down and before sitting beside Mai.

"Kurosawa-San?"

"Please, call me Mari I hate people calling me by my surname," she told Mai who glanced at the black haired girl at the corner of her eyes. The girl was indeed pretty as the rumors had said. Mari Kurosawa, a 15 year old freshman, she walked with a grace unlike the others, her flawless black hair, her pale skin and her seemingly deep brown eyes had made her one of the most popular girls in school.

However, no matter how beautiful anyone was on the outside, if you're rotten in the inside, nobody would like you…or so, that was what Mai thought when Mari snatched her sandwich and ate it during lunch. Mai knew the girl was her classmates and couldn't care less about the girl who sat just 4 seats away from her.

After all Mai had more to worry about. A part time job as a waitress in a Chinese restaurant near her female teacher's apartment and examination results to worry about. The sandwich she had been saving for 2 days gone just like that. Mai couldn't help but feel cold fury towards the girl who sat beside her.

"You're like a little kid you know Taniyama-Chan," Mari laughed, pushing her side fringe behind her ear and looking at Mai.

"A person who steals food shouldn't tell another that," Mai retorted, her voice taut in anger.

A cold winter wind blew past and Mai winced, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw a sandwich box in Mari's hand.

"Here," Mari had said, "Take it…"

Mai was lost for words. "I'm sorry," Mari said.

"Heh, you should be," Mai answered back and took the box and opened it, sinking her teeth in the delicious sandwich that laid in it. An awkward silence descended upon them after Mai was done with the sandwich.

It was Mari who spoke first, "Want to go back to the classroom?"

"Eh…oh, ok," Mai had answered. They exited the roof and went down a series of stairs. Their footsteps echoing throughout the corridor. Mai felt the box Mari had given her still in her hands and she stopped for a while before calling out to the girl who walked in front of her.

"Thanks," she said, "M…Mari."

Mari Kurosawa turned and for the first time, smiled at Mai.

"**Want** to hear about the ghost in the female toilet on the 4th floor?" Mari asked Mai, excitement in her eyes. Mai sighed and pushed the overly excited girl off the table.

"You told me the story 5 times," Mai complained.

"Eh, but this is different, they say the girl was murdered! Isn't this interesting?"

"Oh give me a break, they always say that," Mai muttered.

"Oh Mai, Mai, Mai, I find it appalling that you don't find this interesting, it's a horror mystery I tell you, a horror mystery!"

Mai's eye brow twitched in irritation. Just as she had expected, Mari Kurosawa was nothing like the rumors say she was. What part of this sadistic nature was kind and loving?

Her mind wandered back to the time where Mari had handed her, her sandwich box.

"The girl had a fight with her boy friend in the evening…it was night when it happened. The girl was stabbed by an unknown fathom in the girl's bathroom where she was discovered in the morning."

Mai's eyes narrowed, "Why was she there at night?"

"And that's the interesting part about it! What a lucky girl," Mari said, "She was able to die in such an interesting way. I wish I were her."

Something snapped in Mai and she took Mari by her arm, gripping her hard.

"Don't talk about death so lightly you sadist," she had said, her eyes filled with cold fury that shocked the girl.

"Mai," the girl had said, "You're hurting me."

Mai let the girl go and begun to walk down the corridor in a huff. When Mari appeared before her, "I know; I just can't help myself."

A smirk appeared in her face again, but this time Mai couldn't help but notice the hurt in her eyes.

"_That's why I hate myself."_

**Present**

"She's alright, Naru," Bou-san muttered to the boy who was standing over the red headed sleeping girl. The boy had an indescribable look on his face, something Bou-san had seen many times before. It kind of shocked him.

It was easy to forget that the 17 year old was not an adult. Mai who was now sleeping soundly had a pained look on her face. It was as if she was experiencing a night mare inside her dream world. Everyone was worried, even the cold, supposedly uncaring Shibuya Kazuya.

Bou-san smiled patting the boy's head. "She'll be fine, you know that better than anyone else," he told him. Then boy turned, an annoyed look plastered on his face. "Please stop patting my head, Bou-san," Naru said, before walking towards Lin and taking a black tape in his hands.

He passed it to Bou-san. "Give it to Masako," he said.

Bou-san shrugged and walked out of the small room only to be greeted by a very troubled train manager. Masako and Ayako had been talking to him, but it would seem that their discussions were taking a turn for the worst.

"What do you mean by that!" The train manager shouted at the two ladies.

"Well, it would be no different from playing music in an air port." Ayako responded.

"Shut up old woman! What do you take the broadcasting system of the train station for; your very own disco site!"

"You called me an old woman, right, YOU CALLED ME AN OLD WOMAN RIGHT!" Ayako screamed.

"Well, well calm down you two," Masako said, pushing Ayako away from the train manager whose gaze softens when he looked at Masako.

"You understand don't you," he said.

"No," Masako answered, "Why can't we use you're broadcasting system for luring this ghost out."

The train manager's face fell and he shook his head. "Hara-san I do understand that you're into the supernatural series, however you must know that, that and this are two different things altogether…what would the people say if they suddenly hear noises of different people crying in sorrow over the broadcasting system…we'll be screwed. Please give up."

"Your already screwed enough, baldie," Masako said taking a step forward and pulling the wig of the train manager's head.

"Ah!" he shouted and Bou-san almost fell to his knees.

"What are you doing!" he shouted at Masako, who dumped the wig onto the floor and looked over the train manager with a disgusted face. "Let us use your broadcasting system, this isn't a matter of you losing face, it's a matter of us saving lives!" she shouted.

"You really done it now!" the train manager shouted. "I'm reporting you guys to the police!"

"Looks like this didn't work right," Masako muttered, before walking behind the train manager and pushing him forward.

"What-"

Bou-san's lower jaw dropped as the train manager fell on Ayako, his hands groping her breast. Masako pulled out her hand phone and took a photo.

"Now…you were saying something about calling the police?" Masako asked, smiling sweetly.

"You…YOU did that on purpose!"

"Ara, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Take whatever you want," he said, sinking his head in despair. Ayako still on the floor was gaping like a fish. Masako smiled as the train manager handed her the keys to the broadcasting room. Bou-san approached Masako, "You devil," he whispered in her ears.

"**You devil," the man whispered to the girl who lay before him. The girl was looking at him with menace in her eyes. "You caused Shintaro to die!" he shouted at her. The man slapped his daughter across her face again. She winced, however she said nothing.**

"**Mari!" he shouted, 'Why! Why did you do what you did! Answer me!" the man shouted. The girl did not answer instead a smile broke out on her face. The blood boiled in the man's veins. **

"**Die!" he shouted, taking her by her arm and dragging her out of the house. He casts her outside and locked the door. "You're not my daughter anymore."**

"**Shintaro?" the girl whispered, snorting, spitting blood and standing up shakily. "Who the heck is he?"**

"**Bloody bastard," she whispered.**

_**I killed him…I knew he was dying…dying from his illness…I knew he was in pain, he was screaming, screaming at me…he was crying, crying out for my mother…yet I didn't do anything, somewhere deep inside me I was enjoying it…enjoying that he was suffering that he was getting what he deserved…I didn't call the ambulance…I watched him die…I enjoyed it…watching him die.**_

_**I killed him.**_

"**Shintaro," Mari muttered, "Who the heck is he?"**

_**My brother…I killed him.**_

"**That is her past," Naru whispered to Mai who stood at the sidelines, watching Mari walking down the long straight road down into darkness. This was Mari…the Mari she knew nothing about. "I'm dreaming now, aren't I, Naru?" Mai whispered. **

**Naru gripped onto her hand and squeezed it. Mai felt tears spill from her eyes before she wiped them away. "I got to save her Naru," she told the boy who smiled at her before pointing to Mai's heart.**

"**The reason for everything lies in here," he said, "Though you cannot trust it, sometimes you got to follow it."**

**Mai frowned, "Another one of your annoying riddles again Naru," she said.**

"**It's dangerous," he whispered, "the realm of the heart. Be careful, Mai."**

"**What do you mean, Naru?" Mai asked. The boy released Mai's hands and started to hum a low farmiliar tune.**

"**Kokoro no, Kokoro no, Tabetai," he whispered, "Oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai."**

"Start," Naru whispered in the mike. Masako nodded and pressed the button. The tape that Naru had handed to Bou-san was slotted into the tape player. Immediately sounds of woman who are crying in anguish were broadcast throughout the station.

'Man, what a creepy tape," Bou-san muttered, "What is he trying to achieve with this?"

"Isn't it simple, his trying to lure the ghost out," Masako said.

"Eh…with something as creepy as this."

"Haven't you noticed," Masako said, "Everyone who has disappeared, their all suffering? Kanako, her parents probably divorced, that guy who disappeared just a few days ago, he lost his job and his family. Otani Takashi, that 4 year old that disappeared, we just found out that his Dad passed away a few months ago…then there is Mai's friend, Mari Kurosawa…that girl is probably suffering too."

"The being it's attracted to anguish, pain and suffering."

"Well if you ask me… the tape you just played sounds like it's out from a horror movie." Bou-san muttered.

"Eh yes…you're from a horror movie!" Ayako shouted at Masako who turned around and gazed at Ayako coldly.

"Making…Making that man molest me, are you mental! Do you have a heart?"

Masako snorted, "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

"Why I ought to kill-"

"It's here," Naru's voice whispered from the intercom.

Naru looked at the screens before him. There being filmed from the train's stations CCTV cameras was a little girl dressed in a red kimono. She was solid looking…solid in shape, she looked just like any human child, except for the sinister way she was bouncing the red ball on the train platform.

"Lin," Naru said urgently, the silent man got out of his seat and opened the doors of their small room. There, where the girl should have stood was an empty space.

"Kazuya," Lin said urgently, "She's not there."

"She moved," Naru shouted, looking at the different screen more intensely. The ringing got more intense. It was as if the bells were screaming. The screen begun to fizz both black and white, the static has reached its maximum strength. A strange high pitch voice sounded throughout the station.

On the other side of the intercom, Naru could hear Masako's voice crying out in pain from the broadcasting room. "Kazuya, my ears, their splitting," he heard her say. Naru turned suddenly as the light blacked out and everything turned dark.

He felt Lin's protective back pushing him back.

The doors of the small room begun to creak open. A thin line of light begun to leak into the room; the doors begun to open wider, slowly. Images formed in Naru's head as the strange high pitch voice got louder.

"Kokoro no,"

An image of blood and slaughter crossed Naru's mind.

"Kokoro no,"

The image of claws ripping out a heart and dipping it into a bucket begun to etched itself into Naru's mind, forming a gruesome image.

"Tabetai."

Something, a ball of thread was dumped into the bloodied bucket…with the heart sitting in it, beating ever so slowly.

"Oishii no,"

Somebody was squeezing the heart, squeezing every last inch of blood out of it.

"Kokoro,"

Somebody was crying…crying in sadness, in despair…in madness.

"Tabetai."

The hands took out the red thread that has been sitting in the bucket.

"Aaaaaaa kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii," a voice screamed.

"Kazuya!" Lin shouted.

The door flung open, a large gust of wind blew in. Naru's eyes widened when he saw a little girl dressed in a red kimono standing over the sleeping Mai.

"Lin!" he shouted.

A large smirked emerged on the girl's face. She bounced the ball on the ground and the bell rang. A screamed echoed from within the girl. A huge gust of wind caused Naru to wince, closing his eyes. The door slammed shut, the light flipped on, the papers on the table fell to the ground, and the screen stopped buzzing. Silence filled the room once more, Lin was panting, and Naru pushed the man away and ran over to the bed that Mai had once slept in.

He pulled the covers off and was shocked to see that she wasn't there.

"Mai," he whispered.

She was gone.

"**I killed her,"**

Yasuhara-san whispered, reading the note he just found in his family heirloom…made by Homura Takashi.

"I killed her; with my own two hands…I don't know what overcame me. Was it the debt that I owe…was it the anger I possessed, I do not know. The day when she lashed out at me, I felt an indescribable feeling overtaking me. I have betrayed the trust of a parent…I have killed our daughter with my two hands…I have mutilated her heart, dipped my threads in her blood…I thought by doing so I could revive her…revive her with the art I have spent my whole entire life on…I could do nothing, she was dead…"

"I ask for no forgiveness…I ask to be sent to hell…I have killed her…our only daughter, Yuna…what am I to do? All I ask is that you would accept her body….All I ask is that you accept her body into the earth…I have already casts her aside once…please as a mother accept her. I killed her, our only daughter…poor poor Akemi."

"**Aaaaaakkkeeeemmmmiiiii…"**


	7. File 1 Train 7

**And here's chapter 7 : D hope you enjoy reading this : D**

File 1 #

Train 7

Homura

The world before her was a gray mess. It severed in some places, fizzed and stuttered in some. It was distorted and constantly a buzzing sound resonated in the place. Like a radio playing static continuously. Mai pressed her hands hard over her ears. She felt like digging them out, but knew well she couldn't. Her vision blurred as she got to her feet slowly and painfully.

Her whole body ached especially her chest, it hurt just to inhale.

"Where am I?" she whispered.

She stumbled forward as the floor shook. The world around her was gray; it was a deep hazy gray that seemed to suck all the colors into itself. Then there was a flash of bright red. It stood up amidst the gray, a deep red, as red as blood itself.

A ball was bouncing slowly in this gray world, the ball that has been the link to everything. Mai clenched her fists and stood up straight. She was trembling in fear but she held herself. If she were to show any sign of weakness here, she would definitely lose.

This world was not the world of humans.

The ball continued to bounce and Mai took a step towards it. A sharp piercing sound vibrated off the gray walls. The sound of the Shinobue, a cry of ancient sorrow.

A figure appeared behind the ball, a figure of a small girl wrapped in a red kimono. The girl's face was white with makeup, her lips thick with lipstick. Golden hairpins pinned her hair up forming an elegant bun on top of her head. She looked delicate, the smile on her face while she was bouncing the ball fake and brittle as glass.

Her eyes were hidden by a gray mist. The space was distorted around the girl, everything around her seemed to be crumbling apart. Still, the girl bounced the ball and sung the song that Mai had heard so many times.

"Kokoro no, Kokoro no, Tabetai," the girl sung.

Mai opened her lips and sung the remaining line, "Oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai."

The ball seizes to bounce; it met the ground and rolled away, its bells ringing furiously in the process. The girl dressed in the red kimono looked up; the smile on her face had vanished.

"Why have you brought me here," Mai spoke, her voice surprising even herself. The girl did not answer; instead a tiny smirk appeared on her lips. Deep laughter resonated within the girl.

"What is so funny?" Mai shouted at the girl.

A voice, deep and raspy sounded; Mai realized it came from the girl.

"Your heart is filled with darkness," the girl spoke. It was unnatural, forced, it was deep yet it was high pitched, a distorted voice. A voice that wasn't human.

"It excites me,"

As she said this, the girl moved closer to Mai. She seems to glide over the gray floors. Her mouth visibly getting wider.

"It makes me want to eat it,"

"What happened to Kanako…you killed her didn't you!" Mai shouted at the girl. The girl paused for a moment, and raised her kimono hiding her face. "Kill her?"

"Yes," Mai answered.

It happened so fast that Mai didn't even have time to gasp. The girl crossed the gray room in a second, her face now uncovered with the kimono baring large fangs that jutted out from inside her mouth. Fangs, sharp, white and long; fangs like a saber tooth tiger…accept more dangerous.

Mai fell backwards and a loud whistle shot through the air again. The girl before her had vanished and now the sharp tune of the Shinobue continues to whistle in the air.

"You have 14 days, you have 14 days to get out of here, you have 14 days or you would die-" a strange voice sounded out the warning.

"Where is Mari?" Mai screamed. The gray world broke, everything begun to shake, Mai fell to the ground feeling nausea. She puked, her stomach contents spilling out. Everything was hurting badly. A sharp whistle broke through the atmosphere again and Mai gasped. The pain had stopped; she looked up and found herself on the train platform.

"Wh…what-"

A train went past and the commuters rushed in and out. They passed by her, some bumping into her and some dodging her. Mai took a step forward and felt a sharp pain shooting up her chest. It was hard to breathe. The train left and Mai found Naru standing at the end of the train platform with the rest of the ghost hunt members.

They all looked rather worried. Mai frowned and begun to walk towards them. Each step she took seemed heavy and controlled. Mai forced herself forward, determined to get to them. When she neared them, Naru turned to face her.

"Naru," Mai called out, expecting a response. The boy seemed to pause, seemed to have seen her, before he looked away.

"Eh?" Mai whispered.

"Naru?" she called again.

The space begun to distort violently, shifting and turning again. Mai fell to the ground, feeling the same pain she had felt just now…then it was over. A train went past; the commuters went in and out, some hitting, some dodging her. Mai saw the ghost hunt team and Naru at the end of the train platform. They all had worried looks on their faces.

Mai was panting; her chest was hurting real bad. Her heart beating at an incredibly fast pace. She walked towards the team and called out to Naru again. This time the pain was intense, almost unbearable. Her vision blurred and again the distortion happened.

A train went past; commuters went in and out, some hitting, others dodging her.

Mai saw the ghost hunt team at the end of the train platform. "You have got to be joking with me," she muttered. "Stop screwing with me!" she shouted, punching a wall hard. She felt the skin on her fist break and blood flowed from them, dripping on the ground staining in red. The walls seem to bend inwards where she had punched it. Mai smirked a little in pain.

"Mari!" she shouted, punching the wall again, causing the walls to distort a bit. "Mari!" her voice vibrated of the space, she punched the walls again and the space seem to distort even more.

"Mari, where are you!" Mai shouted. Mai punched the wall and a tiny crack appeared on the surface of the wall. Bright light leaked through and the space broke into tiny little pieces.

Mai winced, closing her eyes, when she opened her eyes she found herself on the train platform; the same scene unfolding before her. Mai felt fear, hopelessness and pain but more than ever fury. She was trapped in a time loop. A game…

She was trap in an endless game.

Well, if that's the case…

"I've just got to break out of this loop," she muttered. With a roar she punched the wall again, the space distorted. Mai punched some more, using both her hands, tightly squeezed into a fist she punched and punched and punched.

Again the space broke, again the same scene replayed. Mai punched again and again, the space broke, the scene replayed.

Numerous times she did this and again the world seems to repeat itself numerous times over.

"Mari!" Mai shouted, with all her strength she punched the wall one last time. The world seems to crack and like an Earthquake, everything shook. The space rumbled, shaking violently and suddenly it gave way. Bright light greeted Mai, one that blinded her.

"Blue sky," Mai whispered, before pain took her and she closed her eyes.

"**Naru, get a hold of yourself," **

Bou-san scolded the teen who had just spilled some tea on the ground. The boy realizes this and he took a towel and begun to wipe the spillage. They were in the Train Management office, the staff had loaned it to them a while ago.

It's been hours since Mai disappeared and it seems to have taken a toll on the whole team…especially the boy.

"Don't worry, we'll find her," Bou-san told the boy who drunk his tea and nodded. "Bou-san I would like you to do an exorcism, get Matsuzaki-san too, we need to cause as much disturbance as possible."

"And do what? Catch a sprit we can't even catch?" Bou-san muttered, irritated.

"No," Naru said, "Use your brain."

"To find out more about the spirit?" John asked. Naru nodded, "It would seem that the only way to deal with this spirit is to eliminate its core body."

Bou-san gasped, "The red ball!" he said.

"It might be," Naru said, "Or it might be something else altogether…the core body is the sprit origin, if the spirit possesses the red ball then we must find this red ball…but if the spirit possesses something else entirely…we must find it."

"There is no need to find it," Yasuhara-san's voice broke through the office. The team members turned to look at him. The glasses wearing youth walked into the room panting. A load of thick papers were stuffed underneath his arms. A cut piece of Temari ball was in his other free hand.

"I found him, the culprit."

Yasuhara-san walked into the room and slammed the papers on the tables and handed Naru the note that Takashi Homura had written. Naru's eyes widened and he looked at Yasuhara-san who nodded.

"On the evening of 1856, Takashi Homura the creator of these red Temari balls took the life of his daughter. He has landed himself in huge debt…as he couldn't pay off his debts; he took to drinking and abused his daughter countless times…until finally he killed her."

"How does that link to the haunting in this Train Station?" Ayako asked. Masako nodded.

Yasuhara-san continued, "The main reason why these balls were called cursed balls was because his apprentice apparently saw him dipping the white threads used to make the Temari balls into a bucket filled with a red substance. On further inspection, the apprentice was horrified to find a beating heart in the bucket. The apprentice recalled how Takashi Homura had dipped the threads into the bucket soaking it, before threading the thread into balls."

"It says here that Takashi Homura made 2 balls out of this red blood."

"Why didn't the apprentice find anything weird about it?" Masako asked.

"When the apprentice asked Takashi Homura where he got the heart and the blood from, Homura Takashi simply replied that he got it from a pig. The apprentice asked no further. It would seem that a few months after the incident, Takashi Homura got weaker and weaker. On his death bed when the apprentice asked what happened to one of his red balls, his last words were, "So that she can live a new life.""

"The apprentice later gave the remaining ball to my family and it had been passed down through generations."

"What happened to his daughter?" Bou-san asked.

"Takashi Homura filed her as missing…her body was never found…though we now know what had actually happened to her."

Bou-san gasped, "His haunting this station now as we speak…taking people and singing the poem about eating another's heart."

"No," Naru spoke suddenly, "the culprit is not Takashi Homura…"

"How do you know that?" Ayako asked. "He sounds like the culprit to me…that sick bastard."

"I agree with Kazuya-san," John spoke suddenly, "Takashi Homura is not the culprit, the menacing things that we have experienced here feel more like that of vengeance…Takashi Homura has no reason for revenge."

"A ball is missing am I right; there were 2 balls however only one has been found." John continued.

Yasuhara-san nodded, "Yes, according to the reports the apprentice never found the other ball."

"What is his daughter's name, Yasuhara-san?" Naru asked.

Yasuhara-san flipped through his records, "Akemi…Akemi Homura." He whispered.

"That name sounds farmiliar," Masako spoke next.

"Lin, play back the sounds recorded last night right before Mai's disappearance," Naru told the silent man who nodded. He pressed a button and the noises from the horrifying night before played back.

"**Aaaaa Kkkkkeeeee mmmiiiiii…"**

The team gasped, Naru placed his tea cup on the table and stood up.

"We had our answer all along." He said.

"Matsuzaki-san, Bou-san, I would like you to buy shovels." He commanded. He turned to Yasuhara-san. "Do you know where Akemi is buried?" he asked him. Yasuhara-san flipped through his records again before shaking his head.

Naru tapped his fingers on the table. Why would a girl who wanted revenge haunt a train station that has nothing to do with her? The red ball, the girl, Mai…

Something fell into place and Naru's fingers stopped tapping. "Kazuya are you alright?" Masako asked. Naru smirked, "Where is Takashi Homura's wife buried at?"

Yasuhara-san flipped through his papers and smiled, "A few kilometers away from this station."

Masako's eyes widened and Lin stood up. Bou-san and Ayako arrived with the shovels.

"Let's go," Naru commanded.

**What's going to happen to Mai? Will the team be able to rescue her? Why is the first part of this chapter so Shonuenish…don't ask me…I read too much Gintama and One piece. I promise a chapter full of thrills that you would love to read in the morning and not at night…in the next chapter: D**


	8. File 1 Train 8

Ah phew…finally I'm done…PHEW…not the last chapter though X D

File 1#

Train 8

Charms

"Mai!" a voice called out to her. Mai opened her eyes and found herself looking at a worried Naru whose face was center meters away from hers.

"Whoa!" Mai shouted, sitting up, her forehead banging against his. "Ouch," she muttered, rubbing the sore spot, before standing up. She was in a huge flower field and it was night. Millions of stars shone above her, giving the flower field that she was in a strange mysterious silver glow. A few white orbs that formed small fire balls emerged from the flowers and floated towards the night sky covered with stars.

Mai turned and found a large moon in the midst of all the stars. A cold wind blew past and the flowers swayed. Mai felt chills forming at the back of her skin. It was neither a bad nor a good feeling. It was as if she had entered a place that was neither fit for humans…or the sprits.

The atmosphere here was different. The air was mighty clean and fresh and yet it was thick and heavy.

"Where am I?" Mai asked, Naru who was smiling weakly.

"Can you hear it?" he whispered. Mai shook her head and blushed when Naru walked towards her and place one of his hands on her chest.

"What-what are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"The beating of the heart," he said.

Mai gasped as she heard a deep booming sound resounding in the space around her. It resonated with the beats of her heart and she clutches her chest. No wonder this place felt so mysterious and at the same time farmiliar.

"I am in a heart," she said.

"To be more precise, you have entered the memories of a heart," Naru told her.

"Who's heart?" Mai muttered, it seems impossible but the more Mai stayed at the spot feeling the resonating beats, she could no longer doubt it.

"Hers," Naru whispered, pointing at a distance, before disappearing into thin mist. Mai felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Running towards her was a little girl, wearing a red kimono. She had a smile on her face which was completely white, covered with a type of white powdery makeup. Flowers tied up her elegant hair.

"Pa pa!" the girl shouted.

Mai almost shrieked when a black shadow figure appeared before her. The small shadow figure begun to grow until it reached the height of a full grown man. It was featureless and black. It bore only the figure of a grown man…the rest was just a deep black. It had no face; it had no colour…just a 3-d shadow figure of a man. The girl ran towards the black figure and hugged it.

A small hole representing a mouth appeared on the shadow figures head. It seemed to speak a few words, as the small hole opened and closed a few times.

"Pa pa," the girl said, fondly to the black figure before taking the figure's hand and together they both walked down the flower field. Mai gulped and had no choice but to follow.

"Are we going to see Ma ma's grave today?" the little girl asked the figure, who uttered a groan in response. "Awww, why?" the little girl asked. The black figure seems to shake its head before pointing up at the moon.

"But, we always visited Ma ma at night," the little girl said. The black figure shook his head and the little girl seizes to smile. They began to walk down the flower field again. As they walked, Mai realized that the little girl was growing in height. She was growing up. Soon the little girl was a girl probably in her middle teens.

She still wore the same red kimono except now; she had lip stick on her white powdered face. "I don't want to go Pa pa," she said, "I don't want to meet him!"

The black figure shook his head disapprovingly.

"What do you mean I have to see him, I won't accept it Pa pa, this arrange marriage, I won't!" she shouted. The black figure slaps the girl across the face. The girl turned shocked before a face filled with vengeance covered her expressions.

"I will kill you if you do not obey me," the black figure seemed to whisper.

Then continued walking again and this time the girl had grown into a beautiful young woman, about 18 years old. She had an elegant face, covered in the most beautiful make up. Her hair was pinned up with yellow golden flowers and pins were stuck into her curled hair. She wore a red kimono that was bright and vibrant.

Though as beautiful as she was, there was a strange look of despair in the girl's eyes. The black figures who like the girl also seemed to have gotten bigger, but unlike the girl who had gotten more beautiful, the black figure seems to have gotten uglier. A menacing aura surrounded it, an aura of immense evil.

"Pa pa you're drunk again! How many times did I tell you not to drink?" the girl shouted at the black figure who waved her away.

"Stop drinking!" the girl shouted. The black figure was quiet for a second before standing up and lashing out at the girl hitting her with its fist, repeatedly. The girl screamed, as the figure ripped apart her kimono and begun to touch her breast, molesting her.

Mai felt a horrible feeling growing in her chest. The feeling grew till Mai couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop!" Mai shouted.

The black figure turned away from the girl and now faced Mai. The little hole representing his mouth begun to move rapidly, as if whispering something.

Mai clenches her hands into a tight ball. "You tried to molest your own daughter!" Mai shouted at the black figure. The figure begun to distort, black smoke shot out of it and before Mai could react it was on top of her, holding her down.

Mai struggled, kicking and screaming. The figure then closes in on Mai's throat, squeezing it tightly so tightly Mai could hardly breathe.

"Help me!" she screamed in her mind. Her throat felt hot, felt hot with pain. Then she could breathe again, Mai coughed and choked a few times before scrambling to her feet. She stumbled and hit the ground again before getting up to her feet.

There was the black figure, standing on top of red kimono girl, she was on the ground, her eyes opened wide in terror, her mouth open…clearly dead. The figure collapsed on his knees and begun to sob, it was a sob with no noise…a strange ugly sob. The figure disappeared and all that was left was the girl's dead body.

Mai too shock for words, stumbled backwards and hit the ground, her buttocks stung from the pain but she couldn't care about the pain. Her hands instinctively reached for her throat. She grips it and felt hot tears rising from the back of her eyes.

"Do you understand?" Naru's voice sounded above her. Mai looked up and found Naru looking at her with a sad smile.

"Yes," Mai whispered.

"A revenge filled with hate…for everything, the girl has forsaken love…has forsaken everything for revenge…her heart is stuck back in time…lost in hatred for 200 years." Naru said, "Hate for her father, hate for everything, hate for the world that has forsaken her."

"She is stuck in her own time paradox, unable to move on."

Mai felt her throat again before clenching her fist, "Then it's about time she did," Mai whispered.

"Mai!" she heard Naru call out her name. Mai turned only to find Naru had disappeared, her eyes widened in horror as she saw the corpse of the girl dressed in red kimono start to move.

Crawling slowly on the ground, a demented smirk laid on the girl's face. The sharp hiss of the Shinobue broke through the atmosphere and the girl appeared in front of Mai, her face touching Mai's.

"Kokoro no, Kokoro no, Tabetai!"

"**Man, this is creepy,"**

Bou-san muttered as they reached the entrance of the small cemetery. It was an old cemetery, run down and old. Some grave markers were damaged, others were covered in grass…some were in perfect conditions while others had been reduced to rubble.

The ghost hunt team stood outside the old rusty fence that protected the run down cemetery. The sky above them was almost black, dark orange purple clouds littered the reddish sky. The evening sun cast eerie shadows on the cemetery grounds; night was coming.

"Well, how do we look for Akemi's tombstone in this run down place," Ayako said, voicing out Bou-san worry. It might take hours…maybe days to find the tombstone in such a huge and rundown cemetery.

"There is no need," Masako's voice sounded beside Bou-san and he jumped. The girl lifted her kimono sleeve to her nose before pointing straight into the heart of the cemetery.

"I can sense it, it is near," she whispered.

"That's amazing, Hara-san!" John Brown exclaimed. Irritation passed Masako's face as she opened the gate of the cemetery and stepped into it. "Follow," she commanded.

Naru nodded, took a shovel from Lin and continued after Masako. Bou-san sighed before following them. An adult reduced to following children's orders…this was great. He heard Ayako sigh beside him and realized he was not alone. "Come on old woman," Bou-san told the woman who used the spade to hit him lightly on the head.

"Not before you, old man," she said.

They found Masako standing a few meters away from a grave. The tombstone was a large circular one, unlike the other tombstones which were just rectangular in shape. The tombstone was a large geometric semi-circle. It rested in the middle of a large patch of grass, which had were black.

It was as if a fire had burned through the grass patch sucking out all form of life from it.

Masako had her kimono sleeve over her nose, her face cringing, as if it hurt just to breathe in the air around her. "It's here," she whispered, pointing to the semi circular grave. "Akemi Homura is here," she said with conviction.

Before Bou-san could utter another word, Naru had plunged the shovel into the black grass. John and Lin joined in and the three young men begun to dig, spitting out dirt from the ground. Bou-san sighed before joining in too. Ayako soon joined in, picking up the dirt that has been dug out and shifting it to a side. Masako looked like she was about to faint, so Naru instructed her to take a sit somewhere. She quickly obliged.

Bou-san wiped his brow; the sweat was forming quickly on his forehead. The air around them seemed to have gotten warmer…though night was coming. "This is weird," Ayako said suddenly, "The trees…they are scared of something."

Bou-san raised his shovel again as the ominous caw of a crow sounded overhead. A dark purple cloud soon covered the evening sun, spreading a dark shadow across the grave. It was then that Bou-san realized that something was very wrong.

"Stop digging!" he shouted. John, Lin and a very irritated Naru did as he had asked. The three turned to look at him and Bou-san placed his fingers on his lips. "Listen," he whispered.

"For what?" Ayako asked him, before gasping.

A low sharp sound of a Shinobue flute could be heard from a distance. A slow thick fog begun to creep up from the other tombstones. The sound of a bell was heard, ringing in a slow rhythmic manner. "Get out of the hole!" Masako shouted suddenly.

Bou-san felt somebody pushing him out of the small hole that they have dug. He landed painfully on his face, tasting the rotting leaves on the ground.

"What was that for!" he protested. He heard Ayako shriek, alarmed he turned himself around.

"Kazuya!" Lin shouted, reaching forward and pulling the boy out of the hole. A human sized skeleton rose from the ground, it had big gaping eyes and sharp human like teeth. In its hand was a Shinobue flute and in its other hand was a very sharp axe. The skeleton was white, white like ivory. It had a menacing aura too it.

"Get away from it!" Masako shouted before screaming when the skeleton turned its attention to her and started for her. It was above her in a second, its axe raised high up in the air ready to swing. Bou-san uttered a wordless cry as the axe came crashing downward aimed at Masako's head.

"Hara-san!" Bou-san heard John screamed. A spade blocked the axe from reaching its original target. John was in front of Masako, holding the spade in front of him, struggling with the skeleton. He pushed his axe forward and threw the skeleton off balance.

The skeleton turned dementedly and begun to wave the axe up and down. Its eye glowed a deep blood red, its mouth emitting a purple gas. Its jaws opened continuously, snapping shut and open creating a crunching sound.

It lunges forward, fast, Bou-san hardly had enough time to react. He cried out as the axe missed his head by a few inches. Bou-san fell to the ground, rolling before stopping. He cringed in pain. "Bou-san!" he heard John crying out. He turned around, only to see the axe coming towards him.

"Oh bloody-"

"**Oishii no Kokoro, Tabetai!" **

The girl screamed. Mai fell backwards and gasped when the girl fell on top of her. The red kimono grew larger until it wrapped and engulfed Mai in it. Mai gasped when she realized she couldn't breathe. A red liquid has wrapped itself tightly around her, refusing to let Mai out of its grasp.

"You came here to die," a voice whispered.

Mai swam up, not sure where she should go, but she knew she had to get out of here.

She broke through the red liquid and begun to take in huge gulps of air. The liquid disappeared suddenly and Mai found herself sitting on traditional Japanese like porch made of Bamboo. Somewhere a wind chimed sounded, a warm wind blew past and a cricket chirped.

A little girl dressed in a red kimono was bouncing a red ball in front of her. Time seemed to pass slowly and Mai felt her eyes getting heavier. The ball seizes to bounce, in a trance, Mai called out to the girl who was before her.

The girl turned and a small smile fitted in her face.

"Come," she whispered to Mai. Mai smiled and reached for the girl's outstretched hand. It was cold, so cold.

The trance broke and Mai found the girl looking at her with a pair of beady red eyes. Her face completely black. Mai gulped before tightening her grip on the girl's cold hand. The girl red's eyes seem to glow. Suddenly everything turned dark, real dark. The only light that remained was the two pairs of red eyes that belonged to the girl.

It was glaring at her and aura of menace lay hidden behind the eyes.

"Are you scared, Taniyama Mai," a strange croaky voice sounded in the deep darkness. The eyes seem to grow wider.

"How do you know my name?" Mai whispered.

Images of her mother's funeral flashed in Mai's mind. The pair of red beady eyes seemed to speak. "Isn't it painful living without a kin?"

Mai gasped as the images grew stronger. Her mother's face in a frame, the smell of incense, the small wooden white box, the soft red cushion. The cries of mourners…the ringing of the bell.

The images grew more vivid. The last day her mother had lived. Walking out of the door like any other day, saying good bye to Mai. Walking out of that door with a smile on her face, smiling sweetly.

"I'll be back to cook dinner," she had said.

She never came back; she never walked through the doors ever again.

The telephone rings.

Don't pick it up, Mai screamed, but yet she did.

"Hello," the monotonous voice on the other end spoke, "Is this the Taniyama residence."

_Yes_

"_**Your mom, she's dead."**_

"I'll be back to cook dinner, Mai,"

"Mom!"

Mai drew in a sharp breath, shaking the images away.

"Why are you doing this," Mai muttered, squeezing the hand she felt in hers tightly. It was icy cold, so cold that Mai felt sharp icy numbing pain going through her fingers. "Why are you hurting others!" she shouted.

The voice giggled. Mai felt anger shooting through her.

"Give Mari back," Mai shouted.

Her voice echoed throughout the dark atmosphere. The eyes grew wide before thinning as if smirking. "You're a strange one," it spoke, "Even in this situation you still worry and yearn for your precious friend."

"Nobody has ever done that for me,"

"Nobody has ever shown that they loved or care for me,"

The red eyes grew redder, grew bigger, grew more menacing.

"EVEN YOU!" the voice shouted.

The dark space broke, the hand vanished. Mai felt herself falling backwards, she screamed before crying out in pain as she hit something hard and rough…like pottery. She turned and to her horror found a human skull gazing up at her.

She had landed on a mess of human skulls that seemed to be smirking at her. Something crashed into the skulls, forcing Mai to land on the skulls again.

"I HATE YOU!"

Two hands wrapped around Mai's throat, pain gripped her as those hands squeezed. A bell rang and the sharp sound of the Shinobue sounded.

Then everything was silent.

"**Move you idiot!" **Ayako cried out, pushing the foolish monk away. The man fell onto a tombstone and she landed on him. The skeleton's axe hit the ground and sent dirt flying into the air. "Lin!" Naru's voice sounded.

The Chinese man dashed forward and with a single movement swung the spade, hitting the skeleton. The skeleton smirked and Ayako's eyes opened wide as it swung the axe towards Lin hitting the man in the arm. The man cried out before crashing onto the ground, blood burst and gushed from the wound.

Naru came up next leaping into the air and with a swift movement on his legs, slammed his shin into the skeleton's ribs. They broke and the skeleton fell to the ground. John with a yell slammed the spade into the skeleton's skull breaking it into pieces.

The skeleton struggled for a few moments before it laid on the ground disintegrating into purple smoke. The team was silent, panting from the close encounter. "Lin!" Bou-san, first to recover hurried to the Chinese man who was gripping to his wounded arm wincing.

Masako took a piece of handkerchief from her pocket and begun to tie it around Lin's arm like a bandage.

"What the hell was that!" Ayako shouted. John shook his head and crumbled to the ground in exhaustion. Naru looked at the skeleton before picking up the spade again.

"Hurry," Naru commanded urgently, shocking the members. He picked up a spade before digging again. Bou-san gave a sigh and patted Lin on the back and went back to digging.

"We have to hurry," he heard Naru said.

They dug even more, joined by John and Ayako and this time Masako. Deeper and deeper they dug into the earth. Then it happened, John gasped and fell back.

Bou-san frowned and Ayako gasped. Mai raised her kimono to her nose and Naru bent down.

There lay Akemi's body. She wasn't decomposing, neither was she reduced to bones. Instead there she was, human flesh still attached to her body, a small smirk fitted on her lips…and there beside her body was a bouncing red ball.

Naru's cell phone rung, scaring the members.

"Naru," Yasuhara voice sounded from the other end.

"How is it?" Naru asked.

"Just as you said," Yasuhara's voice laced with horror came through from the other end, "Our phantom is going mad. The train station is filled with the sounds of ringing bells!"

Naru smirked, closing his phone.

"Jackpot," he whispered and plunged his spade towards the bouncing red ball.

"**WHY!"**

The girl screamed, squeezing Mai's throat, her grip tightening.

Mai struggled kicking and twisting under the girl's grip. "WHY! MUST I DIE!" she screamed, her voice vibrating through the space.

"HE KILLED ME, HE CAUSED ME TO SUFFER, HE NEVER LOVED ME, I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL KILL YOU AND EVERYBODY!" She shouted, her anger warping the space around her.

Mai choked, feeling the last bit of air leaving her, pain gripped her, pain and sorrow but most of all…

"SHUT UP!" Mai screamed, forcing the words out, with a kick she managed to push the girl off her. The girl screamed in frustration and went for Mai again. Mai raised her hand and slaps the girl across the face. The girl fell onto the skulls crushing them.

"You hit me," she whispered, "HOW DARE YOU HIT ME!"

"I must be mad," Mai thought to herself, "I'm dealing with a being…a devil…and I angered her…I must be mad."

"Aye I am mad!" Mai shouted, running towards the girl and picking her up by the neck and slamming her onto the skulls.

"Don't be selfish," Mai shouted, "Aren't you the same as your father!"

The girl seizes to move, shocked into silence.

"You have killed a girl! You have caused many to suffer! You are exactly like your father!" Mai shouted.

"I"LL KILL YOU!" the girl screamed, a gust of wind forced Mai backwards and she was slammed on to the skulls. Pain shot through Mai's chest and she coughed out blood.

A wind picked up again and sent Mai flying through the air. She landed on the skulls again, bouncing to a stop.

"DIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" the girl screamed.

Mai cursed and picked herself up only to come crashing down on the ground again. She gasped feeling something poking from her chest. She looked and found a sharp pole sticking into her ribs. Fear gripped Mai as blood leaked from the wound. The girl laughed, "Die," she whispered happily.

Mai closed her eyes as the girl brought the pole down again.

The space broke, shaking violently. Mai gasped as a bright light erupted from within the space. She winced closing her eyes. When she opened them again she found herself in a red room. So red it seemed to be bleeding blood.

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

"Aaaaaaaaa kkkkeeeeee mmmmmiiiiiiiii….."

The girl appeared, she was withering in pain, gripping her ears. "AHRRRRRRRR!" she screamed. Mai struggled to stand, the pole stuck in her chest, making it harder than usual.

"She is trap in a paradox…in her own paradox," Mai whispered remembering Naru's words.

"I'M GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!" the girl had screamed.

"I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER LIKE I DID!"

"How do I stop it," Mai whispered, "Naru?"

"Mai!"

A sharp light appeared and before Mai could react a red ball fell into her hands. The ball was hot and pulsating, a deep red liquid was leaking from it. As if it was bleeding.

"NO!" the girl shouted, seeing the ball in Mai's grasp.

A small smirked fitted into Mai's lips.

"STOPPPPPPPPP!"

"I'm sorry," Mai whispered. Using the sharp pole stuck to her chest, Mai forced the ball into the sharp end, piercing it.

The space collapsed, everything seemed to melt away. Mai saw the girl screaming, coming towards her.

Mai winced when the girl gripped onto her, forcing her sharp nails into Mai's delicate neck. "YOU!" she shouted. The space disintegrated and a bright light shone through. Mai landed on the ground, she cried out as the pole in her chest sunk in deeper.

They girl above her was screaming, screaming.

Her eyes filled with hurt, anger, pain, suffering…

Mai reached out and embraced the girl. The girl screamed and struggled in that embrace. Mai gripped onto the girl tighter. The pole in her chest, impaling the girl too. Blood leaked from their wounds, staining the ground a deep red.

"You-"Mai whispered to the girl, her breathing labored. "Are a pitiful being."

"I HATE YOU! I HATE EVERYONE!" the girl screamed. Mai hugged the girl.

"He doesn't," Naru's voice sounded. Mai opened her eyes and found Naru standing above her, the broken pierced ball in his hand. He was smiling a sad smile. In the ball was a charm.

"Naru?" Mai whispered.

Naru took the charm out and handed it to the girl. The girl read the charm and her eyes widened.

"YOU LIE!" she shouted.

"I don't," Naru whispered, a dark shadow appearing behind him. The shadow figure from before. It was moaning, deep moans came from within it.

"Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." It whispered.

"Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…." "Aaaaaaa Kkkkeeeemmm mmmiiiiii…."

Mai smiled.

_Oh, so that was how it is…_

"Akemi," Mai whispered.

"He has been waiting for you, Akemi…calling out to you," Naru said.

The girl looked at the black shadow, the charm in the ball clasped tightly in her hands.

The shadow figure raised its hands. "I didn't mean it," it whispered, "I didn't mean it Akemi."

"Please forgive me…"

"Father," Akemi whispered and reached out to grab the shadow figure's hand.

There was a bright light Mai winced.

"Mai!"

Mai opened her eyes and found Masako glaring at her.

Pain gripped her immediately and she instinctively reached for her chest. The pole was still there and she was bleeding badly. Masako shook her and she saw John, Bou-san, Ayako and Lin's worried faces looking down at her.

"Mai!" Naru sounded.

"Where am I?" Mai whispered.

"Call the ambulance!" Naru commanded. Mai gripped onto the boy and pulled him close to her.

Naru's face filled with worry softens.

"Please let our daughter grow up strong and healthy," he whispered, "It got through, she's free."

**Akemi has read the charm that her Dad had wrote for her. I don't know if this does justice…but let me tell you this, this was so difficult to write I had so many versions of it that I actually wanted to give up. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter and if you don't understand anything, you can ask, I would explain…because I know it's confusing. **

**Next chapter would be the end of the first story…that makes 99 more stories. : D**


	9. File 1 Train 9 End

This is the part where you go Kyaaa …I think : /

File 1#

Train 9

Hito no seikaku wa anata ni akiraka ni sa rete inai baai, kare no yūjin o mite kudasai

"You're going to turn into a sleeping beauty, Mai," an annoying voice greeted Mai. Mai opened her eyes slowly, wincing because of the bright light. Her vision cleared and above her, she saw a farmiliar face. Mai sat up immediately before doubling over in pain.

Her hands reached for her chest, clutching it. Sharp pain rushed through her body and she coughed.

"Oui, Mai, are you ok?" the annoying voice sounded again. Mai turned and found herself facing Mari, whose face was taunt in worry. Mai looked at Mari for a moment. The girl appeared unhurt. She had a few bandages wrapped around her wrist and others around her neck, but other than that the girl was fine.

"Hey Mai say something," Mari shouted, taking a hold of Mai's shoulder's and shaking her roughly. "Are you fine? Does it hurt! What happened to you?"

Mai gasped and doubled over in pain gripping her chest again before sitting up slowly and slamming her fist down on top of Mari's head.

"Painful! It's painful dumb freak!" she shouted.

Mari stares at Mai with tears in her eyes and Mai frowned. The latter threw herself onto Mai and hugged her tightly.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Mai roared in pain. Mari did not let go instead hugged the girl tighter. "I'm so glad," she muttered, "I'm so glad you're safe…they told us that you wouldn't make it…"

Mai's eyes widened and for the first time she realized that she was in a hospital, lying on a soft white washed bed. There was a vase of yellow flowers placed on the table next to her bed. A water drip hung above her and a life support machine beeped at an even pace beside the table.

Mai peered at Mari who was hugging her, the memories rushes back in and Mai wrapped her arms around Mari tightly.

"You're alright," she whispered. Mari nodded and both girls tightened their hold on each other. They stayed in that position for a long time, both not wanting to let go, wanting to hold on, to go back to their normal relationship…but both knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

"I heard your voice Mai," Mari told Mai, "Your voice kept me going in that horrible place…where time seemed to flow on forever."

"I was helpless; I didn't know what to do…all I saw were visions of my brother's death happening over and over again. The death which I had caused, the death which was my fault. I was helpless, I wanted to kill myself, but then I heard you voice Mai…calling me…from within the darkness." The girl tightened her hold on Mai, shivering.

Mai realized that Mari was scared. The confident, weird girl she had known these past few years was scared.

"My brother was born with a hole in his heart," Mari whispered, "Since then my family's attention was all on him…I was jealous…I hated and loved him with all my heart…it was painful. Then one day he collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. I watched him, I couldn't move, I wasn't even sad…I didn't do anything. I just stood there, I don't even know how I should be feeling…even now I'm scared of myself…I didn't feel a thing when my brother died in front of me."

"It was so natural," Mari whispered.

"I don't even know how I was supposed to feel…I wasn't sad, I wasn't one bit remorseful…I felt nothing."

Mai smiled and tightened her grip on the girl. "But you were suffering…and you were crying," Mai whispered, "You hated yourself, you knew that it was wrong…you were suffering all this time…Doesn't that show something…you were sad…remorseful," Mai said.

"You felt something."

Mari ceases to tremble; Mai felt warm tears trickling down the back of her neck. Mari was crying.

Mai closed her eyes and held onto her friend for a little while longer.

Just for a moment…time seemed to stop.

"Ah a moment of youth just played out in front of my eyes," Bou-san's voice rang out. Mai and Mari turned and found the ghost hunt team standing there. Ayako had tears in her eyes, John was smiling widely, Lin was as solemn as ever, Masako had her sleeves over her face, Yasuhara-san was laughing and then…there was Naru.

Mai blushed when Naru's gaze met hers. She turned away and Mari started to chortle.

"Shut up, Mari," Mai muttered. Mari laughed, before releasing her grip and bowing to the team. "Thank you for everything," she told them, before taking Naru by the hand and pulling the alarmed boy towards Mai's bed.

"T…thank you, Naru," Mai stuttered. Naru snorted and threw something onto Mai's bed. Mai looked at it and raised her eye brow. "What is this?" she asked, picking up the red pouch.

"It's the charm that was lodge inside the Temari ball," Bou-san answered. He rubbed Mai's head hard before picking up the red pouch and turning it over. Something fell out of the pouch and landed in Mai's hand.

"This solved everything," Naru concluded.

Mai grasp the charm that had fallen into her hand and she frowned.

"This charm is different from the one in the Temari ball," Mai said. When she said this, Naru's eyes widened considerably. He went over and snatched the charm out of Mai's grasp before stuffing it into his pocket.

He pulled out another red pouch and threw it onto Mai's bed.

"Eh, Naru?" Mai asked the boy.

There was a deep silence before Ayako broke down into sobs. She went over to Mai and hugged her tightly. Mai winced and Masako pulled the lady away from Mai.

"What's the matter Ayako?" Mai asked. Ayako wiped her tears away and smiled, "It's a miracle," she said, "The doctors told us 3 days earlier that you wouldn't make it…"

"EH!" Mai shouted. "Then how…eh…that serious…"

"Yes you idiot," Masako muttered before banging Mai softly in the head with the flat side of her palm, "So don't even make us worry like that ever again."

Mai turned to face Naru who turned his head awkwardly. A small smile fitted in her lips.

"Thanks a lot guys," she muttered.

**2 days ago…**

"What do you mean by that?" John had asked the doctor calmly.

"Her lungs are badly damage…and even though we had done the best we can…she still not out of the danger zone," the doctor told John. John slumped. He felt his chest tightened in pain. Masako beside him had tears in her eyes and Ayako was wailing.

Lin-san was solemn and Bou-san was banging his fist on the wall.

"She would make it," Naru's voice sounded, his voice was as calm and cool as ever…but John sensed something different. John turned to look at the boy and for the first time, realized that Kazuya Shibuya looked really vulnerable.

"I'm sorry," the doctor had whispered before leaving.

"Dammit! We couldn't make it in time!" Bou-san shouted, banging his fist onto the wall.

"Shut up," Naru had said swiftly, taking a hold of Bou-san arm and pulling it away from the wall. "She will live…Mai is a strong person," he said. John clenches his hands and nods.

"Mai will live," he heard Masako whispering beside him. John nodded. The usually sharp feisty girl was also especially vulnerable today; she was trembling under the layers of kimono she wore. Her eyes betrayed what she had said.

"Where are you going Kazuya," Lin spoke suddenly. John turned and found Naru walking towards the exit.

The boy stopped and turned.

"To pray."

John smiled and he relaxed.

"What's wrong with you?" Masako asked him spotting his smiling face.

"Everything would be alright," he whispered, "Everything would be alright."

**Now…**

"You know I'm fine…I don't need people looking after me," Mai told Naru who sat on the seat beside her bed. It was night and the boy sat silently, sipping a cup of tea from a canister.

"It was decided by the doctors," Naru answered, "And since you have no guardians or family, the team volunteered itself…but frankly I thought it was a pain."

Mai turned red in the face and she threw a pillow at Naru who pushes it away.

"Childish," he mutters, before instructing Mai to sleep.

Mai fell onto the bed and closes her eyes.

But she couldn't sleep…not when his here…not when his besides her sipping his tea.

Not when he…

"Naru…about the charm…" she muttered.

The boy stiffened.

"Shut up and sleep," he commanded.

Mai frowned, before closing her eyes and sunk into deep sleep.

**2 days ago…**

"My, my," the old man greeted the dark haired boy who was panting. The boy had just run all the way to the temple, climbing the many steps just to reach this place. The old man was impressed. He ran his fingers through his beard before smiling.

"You want me to write you a charm?" the old man asked the boy who nodded.

The man raised his brush and handed the boy a red pouch.

"Alright then," he said, "Now tell me the charm."

The boy pauses for a moment, hesitating, but the old man could see the determination in the boy's eyes.

"Please protect that stupid idiot," the boy whispered, "Please protect that stubborn girl."

**And with that, the last words of the tale were whispered. The Noh mask surrounding you begun to flicker. Suddenly, a red Noh mask carrying a candle approaches you. **

"**Here," it whispered to you. The candle it handed you was short. The wax almost used up. The flame was dying. You take the candle and smiled.**

**Taking a deep breath, you blew it out. The candle died, the Noh mask wavered before falling to the ground. Its red eyes staring back at you.**

"**Tell us another story," the other Noh masks whispered.**

**You opened your mouth and whispered.**

I'm sorry I made Naru into a too pure pure guy. So yep, this is the end of the first story. The next story would be a short one (1 long chapter ?), though it focuses on John :D and *whispers* Masako *whispers*

Then comes the third story, that I think would blow your pants away…because it sure did scare me. Again to all people who want to become fan writers of Ghost Hunt…don't write a story at night…with sad music on…you might start getting visions.

I swear I thought I saw a Sadako outside my window the other day. O-O

Oh yes the disclaimer

Me no own Ghost Hunt, Me own only Mari. Thank you Thank you very much to all those who read and reviewed and liked my story : D


	10. File 2 Sakura no Sakura 1

**FORGIVE ME LATENESS. I wanted story 2 to be a short one…like maybe one long chapter. But then I realized, if I write any more than what I was planning to write…I will not be able to write a decent story. So yeah, this is part 1…next chapter would be part 2 (end). A short story with a chapter so long it has to be split into 2 parts. **

**Well, then, enjoy…**

**I can't wait to write the 3****rd**** story T-T **

Prologue

As you whispered your next story, you can sense the Noh masks anticipation. You took a hold of a pink Noh mask, taking its candle that it was carrying.

"And now I'll tell you about him and her," you whispered. The candle flickering in your grasp.

File 2#

Sakura no Sakura

Whenever he was sad or angry, his grandmother was always by his side. He never did understand how important their relationship was until his grandma passed away. Walking by his side, his grandma would take him down the small path filled with Sakura blossoms during spring. She would sing a beautiful, nostalgic song that would forever echo deeply in his heart.

"Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,

On Meadow-hills and mountains

As far as you can see.

Is it a mist, or clouds?

Fragrant in the morning sun.

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,

Flowers in full bloom."

It was a famous song, known throughout Japan, a wonderful haunting melody that seemed to describe the beauty of the flowers. "It has a special meaning," his grandma always whispered to him, chuckling. She would then look at the pink, bright flowers as if lost in a trance.

Her blue eyes looking up at the pink trees as if she were a young girl again.

"What do you mean by that, Grandma," John had asked the old woman, who simply smiled mysteriously. "It's alright," she whispered, "You'll understand when you're older."

"Grandma," John whispered, clutching the red rose to his chest, before walking towards the coffin and setting the rose gently on his grandma's wrinkled hands. Her eyes were closed, her lips curled in a smile. She would never open her eyes again. John wiped his tears away before placing a comforting hand on his Mother's shoulder.

They watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground.

"It has a special meaning," John remembered his grandma's words to him.

As the grave diggers begun to cover the deep hole with soil…John realized that he would never find out what she meant by that.

"And here I am right now, grandma," he whispered. John looked up and smiled. The farmiliar path filled with Sakura blossoms that his grandma used to take him lay in front of him. It was spring, and the air was sharp, fresh and crisp. Birds chirped in the air, making the atmosphere light and fluffy. The Sakura blossoms rustled in the warm cool comfortable breeze that blew through their branches occasionally.

Brittle Sakura petals fell from their branches floating lazily to the ground. John walked slowly through the small brown path. The sky was blue, big fluffy clouds decorated it and the sun shine was bright yet comfortable.

It was a nice day; a day that John felt nothing could go wrong. As he walked through the path, memories of the times spent with his grandma rushed into his head.

A faint wind blew past and John's heart felt heavy again. He sighed before taking a seat on a green bench. This wasn't making it any better, John told himself. Instead he felt worst.

"Why must humans die," he whispered to himself. It was a stupid question, a question an 18 year old priest such as himself shouldn't be asking. "Stop it," he told himself, "She's in a better place now."

The Sakura branches rustled and a peaceful breeze blew past. John sighed.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" a sharp farmiliar voice broke through the peaceful atmosphere. John almost fell out of his seat. He looked up and found himself gazing at a beautiful dressed in a traditional kimono.

The Sakura blossoms at the background made her most outstanding then she already was. For a moment, John just stared at the kimono beauty in front of him, before realizing that she looked very farmiliar. He gasped before calling out to her.

"Hara-san!" he shouted. The girl turned, her usual annoyed look was replaced with one of anger and fear. John rushed towards her and found an old man holding onto her kimono very tightly.

"Brown-san!" Masako shouted, she then turned to the old man.

"Let go!" Masako shouted to the old man who shook his head.

John frowned. The old man was dressed in a blue hospital gown. His hands, legs and face were filled with wrinkles, his skin orange brown, ripe from old age. He had white long hair and clear blue eyes; clearly he wasn't from these parts.

"You're a pretty one aren't you, miss," the old man spoke in a raspy voice. John took a hold of the old man's hand and gently squeezed it.

"Would you mind letting go of the lady's kimono?" he asked the old man politely. The old man snorted, before letting Masako go. He turned to stare at John before grunting. "Young men these days," he muttered.

"What happened?" John asked Masako who pointed at the old man.

"He has been following me since I entered the park…I have no idea what he wants," she said. The old man snorted and sat on the ground. Masako gave him a disgusted look and John sighed.

"You're not very good with people aren't you?" he told the girl who turned considerably red and turned away.

"W-well what can I do…the old man was following me like a pervert!" Masako exclaimed, then turned away embarrassed when she saw John chuckle.

"I am no pervert," the old man replied haughtily, "Anyway no pervert would want to go after you…you were lacking in some areas."

Masako glared at the old man and John laughed nervously.

"So if you're not a pervert then why were you following her?" John asked the old man, who scratched his skin. The old rubbed his balding head before looking at John.

"Youngsters shouldn't really get involved…but since you asked…"

"I lost a ring," the old man whispered, "And I need to get it back."

"A ring?" John asked, "When did you lose it?"

The old man grinned sheepishly, rubbing his head, "Well…in 1942…"

Masako cut the old man off by snorting. "1942," she said, "Give it up old man; you would never be able to find it."

The old man hits Masako with his hand and John had to stand between the two before they beat each other up. "I'm sorry Mister…err…"

"Brown." The man replied.

John's eyes widened. "Brown?" he asked. The man nodded, "You got a problem?" he asked. John shook his head.

"Well, Mr Brown, but I don't think you would be able to find the ring now….I mean it's been so many years…so I wouldn't be surprised if…"

"Shut up," the old man commanded and John stiffened. "I would find it."

The old begun to pry his hands into the tiny bushes besides the small path. He bent his back and crouched to look at the grass. John felt an uncomfortable feeling of guilt tugging in his chest.

"I'll help," he finally said, helping the old man stand again before crouching to look at the grass.

"What! Do you realize that the ring has been missing for 60 years?" Masako protested.

"I'll help," John said again. The old man nodded in approval. Masako groaned.

"Ridiculous," Masako muttered. "This is ridiculous!"

"Huh?"

He turned and found Masako sticking her hands into some bushes and a small smile fitted into John's lips.

She was still helping anyway.

"**We're been searching for hours,"**

Masako snapped and sat on a green bench that was nearby. She looked at John and the old man who were now digging into the green bushy bushes that had thorns in them. Well, she did warn them. Masako sighed and wiped the sweat off her fore head.

She raised her head and found herself staring at a cluster of pink Sakura flowers that were swaying peacefully in the breeze. Somewhere a bird chirped, the big wide fluffy clouds passed the blue clear sky slowly.

"What am I doing," Masako muttered. She cursed her predicament. It was her day off from the hectic life she lived. She had planned to take a nice stroll in the park before meeting up with her father. However, since meeting with this old stalker, her plans had been ruined, and now stuck in this park on this beautiful day, she was digging the soil searching for a ring lost over 60 years ago.

Masako sighed in frustration.

She looked at the old man and John again and realized both of them were yelping out in pain. Their hands stuck firmly in the thorn bushes they have placed their hands into.

"Should I just leave you guys here and move on," Masako told the two men snidely.

"Shut up and help this old man you little fool!" the old man shouted, crying out in pain again when he tried to pull his hand out. Masako ignored him and went over to John. She squeezes a branch off the top of the bush before shaking John's arm. John sighed in relief when his hand was freed from the thorn bush.

"Help me!" the old man screeched. Masako turned to glare at the old man in irritation. "Not until you say please!" she demanded. The old man snorted, turning his head away.

"You stubborn despicable-"he muttered. Masako was about to retort when John cried out.

"Mr Brown!" John shouted suddenly. Sensing something wrong, Masako turned and found the old man clutching his chest in pain. His face was red and taunt in pain. Masako rushed over to the old man and freed his hand out of the bush.

"Get him to the hospital," she told John urgently. The boy lifts the old man and props him on his shoulder. The old man gasped and heaved before pushing John away. Masako caught the old man when he stumbled backwards.

"I…I don't need the hospital," the old man panted, spitting the words out. "Just let me rest for a while."

Irritation shot through Masako. This old man was as stubborn as a bat. Just how was he going to find that stupid ring when he had lost it 60 years ago?

It probably turned into a relic stored in some run down museum years ago.

And then Masako realizes a very important thing. She bangs her hand to her forehead.

"Hey old man," she asked, "How does this ring look like?"

She heard John groan beside her, realizing it himself too. They had wasted time searching for a ring that might not even exist.

"You'll know how it looks like when you find it," the old man seating on the bench answered. Masako raised her kimono sleeves to her nose and bowed.

"Well Brown-san and Mr Brown, I bid you good bye," she said, about to walk off. When she heard the old man breaking down. She turned and was surprised to see the old man crying.

"Oh my god," she muttered.

"It's precious to me," the old man said in between sobs. He wiped his tears away with his trembling hands. "A woman who loved me gave it to me before she left…it was the last thing I have of her." he sobbed.

"Don't lie," Masako muttered, sensing it in the pit of her stomach.

The old man flinched.

"W-what do you know!" he exclaimed. John gave out a nervous laughter and stood between the both of them. Somehow the action seemed to annoy Masako so she pushed the young priest away and stood in front of the old man.

"You were married…you left your wife for someone else…it's so blatantly obvious." Masako said, her visions getting stronger. The old man's lower jaw dropped, and Masako smirked.

"I did not leave my wife for someone else!" he shouted, "All I did was look at another pretty woman!"

"That's the same thing you idiot!" Masako snapped.

The old man coughed before standing up, his eyes filled with anger.

"So what," he shouted, "Are you going to help me look for the ring?"

"I'm telling you, if you lose it 60 years ago, the chances of finding it is close to zero," Masako told him, her eye brows twitching, "And you don't even know what that ring looks like. Are you sure it even exists."

Masako glared at the old man, who was glaring back at her with the same intensity. He then looked away before sitting once more on the green bench. "Of course it exist, it has always existed," the old man spoke, "It existed for her and for me…it was the only thing that linked us together."

"Until you lose it that is," Masako muttered.

"Now, now," John whispered to Masako. John was staring at her, shaking his head, his eyes telling her not to go on. Annoyance slipped in and Masako turned away. Who the hell does that stupid priest think he is?

"My wife and I met when we were just 13 years old, love at first sight you could have called it," the old man muttered. "We were exchange students, stepping into a foreign country for the first time. One from England, the other from Germany and here we were in Japan."

As the old man told his story, his voice softens.

"_Are you alright?" _

_These were the first words the boy heard from the girl. He had decided to take a walk through the Sakura blossoms this morning. It was a path he had found that was located beside his school. The path was small, narrow and long, but because of the Sakura trees that have blossomed this spring; the path looked like heaven._

_It was the perfect weather, comfortably warm and the sky brilliantly blue. It was as if the world was filled with life. The very wind that blew past seemed to carry a lively flavor. Timothy Brown couldn't have asked for a better day._

_Accepting the proposal to study in Japan might have seemed foolish at first. After all, the people here were afraid of him, even his classmates steered clear away from him. He was different after all, the only one with light blonde hair and blue clear eyes. His skin was almost white and the clothes he wore were different from what they wore. _

_They were afraid of him, and Timothy knew that. However, it still hurt. Sometimes he wished he was back home, where everyone was a little friendlier. _

_Now walking through the Sakura blossoms for the first time, Timothy felt that he had made the right choice. The pink Sakura petals seems to lift his spirits as the gently float in the wind. He took in a deep breath and was about to continue walking again when he heard a strange song._

_The song was sad, however it was beautiful. The melody seemed to fit in perfectly with the surroundings. Timothy looked around, wanting to find the owner of the voice. The sweet voice that seemed to resonate deeply in his soul. _

_As he walked further down the path, the voice seemed to get louder. He ran, anticipation growing in his chest. He turned a corner, the Sakura blossoms rustled as a warm wind blew past. He heard a girl cry out softly. A hat hit him full on the face. He fell backwards shocked. _

"_I'm sorry," a gently, sweet voice called out to him. He picked the hat up before standing up. _

_Dusting himself with his left hand he raised his right hand that was holding the hat._

"_Is this yours?" he asked. _

"_Yes," the voice whispered. _

_Timothy looked up, a wind blew past again, the Sakura blossoms fluttered down. The girl's long brown chestnut colored hair swayed in the breeze. Her clear green eyes stared back into his. Her paled skin looked soft. There were freckles on her cheeks. Slender and wearing a blue summer dress that seemed to fit her perfectly, Timothy gasped. _

_Falling backwards once more, the girl ran over to him and pulled him up._

"_Are you alright?" she asked._

_Timothy was too choked for words. There was nothing he could say, a lump was stuck in his throat._

"_Y…your hat…" he stuttered. The girl took the hat and gave him a weird look._

"_Are you sure you're alright?" she asked. Timothy nodded and shrieked when she came closer towards him. He pushed her away and was about to run when she caught his hand._

_It sent goose bumps through him. Her hand was warm, her skin delicate and smooth. _

_He turned and found her frowning. "Why are you running away?" she asked. Timothy turned around, stuttering before rubbing his head and laughing nervously._

"_I…I can't help it," he stuttered, "Y…you were too beautiful it shocked me."_

_The girl pauses for a moment before a mischievous grin took over her face. "I'm beautiful," she said. Timothy nodded, turning red when she neared him again._

"_Do you wanna kiss?" she asked him. Timothy yelped when she came ever closer. The girl broke out laughing. Timothy stared at her, his heart pounding furiously, her smile was bright, too bright._

"_Timothy Brown," he introduced himself, "And you are?"_

_The girl looked at him and smiled. _

"_Anna, Anna Redwood."_

"And that was how I met her, my wife," the old man whispered. "We hung out together a lot after that. Anna and me, we were close friends…then when we were 18 I confessed. Anna was surprised but she confessed too and before you know it we were wife and husband. Yes, we were young, we lived in a foreign country, but that didn't stop us."

The old man blushed before giggling like a little girl. Masako's eye brown twitched.

"Her bosoms were amazing," he said.

"That's sexual harassment, old man," Masako cut in. John blushed.

"When I confessed to her, I was too poor to buy her any rings…we didn't even have a wedding dinner…we told our families back home but they were all against us marrying…" he said.

The old man's begun to cough violently. John rushed over to pat him on his back.

"Then one day, I had gathered enough money to buy us both rings…I thought of giving her a ring as a present," he whispered, "I told her to meet me at the park again…the park where we first met."

"She didn't come," the old man whispered, "She never did, and she went missing after that."

Masako felt an incredible wave of pain hit her. She looked up and found the old man crying. Tears spilling from his eyes. "I lost the ring…the only memory I have of her…I lost it…" he whispered.

"Oh Anna, Anna," he muttered.

A warm spring breeze blew past. "Anna…" Masako heard John whisper. "Is that your wife's name?" he asked.

The old man nodded. Masako saw John frowning. Something was bugging him badly. Something that was digging into his chest. Masako sensed the worry from him. John was hiding something.

Suddenly the old man begun to cough badly, his breath became raspy.

"Ok that's it we're bringing you to the hospital," Masako said.

"No, I got to find this ring!" the old man protested.

Masako sighed and flipped out her hand phone.

"No!" he shouted.

Masako dialed and called the ambulance.

"Heartless, disgusting, spoilt, Heartless!" the old man was screaming at her when the paramedics came and strapped him onto a bed.

"Bye bye," Masako told him and his eyes widened. He was about to lunge out of the bed he was strapped in, when the paramedics closed the ambulance doors and begun making their way to the hospital. John beside her had a nervous smile on his lips.

"Well, that's over," she said.

John was rubbing the back of his head, ruffling his blonde hair. Masako glanced sideways at him. "You're not planning to do what I think you're going to do right…Brown-San," she said.

The boy laughed and begun to shake his head.

"Ok then, let's go home…today was suppose to help me relax but in the end I got more than I asked for," she complained.

"Hara-san," John muttered, "Go on without me."

Annoyance made Masako's eye brows twitch. "Do whatever you want," she said and begun to walk away from John. "That idiot." She muttered.

Why was she so irritated…Masako didn't know anymore.

"**It has got to be here somewhere," **John muttered to himself. He poked into some bushes again before sighing.

What was he doing? Masako was right, there was no way a ring lost 60 years ago would ever be recovered.

"Please help me oh lord," he prayed, clasping his hands today. He then walked to another patch of grass. He shouldn't give up hope; after all, there was a nagging feeling in his chest. Something about the old man, something about Anna, something about the ring.

Ruffling through the fresh green spring grass, he cried out when he spotted something rusty among them. He pulled it out and was disappointed to find a bottle cap. A rusty bottle cap…that he has never seen before.

"What's this?" he asked himself.

"It's made out of steel, the coke company in the 1940's used to produce them," a female voice sounded behind him. John stumbled forward, almost dropping the bottle cap. He turned, and found a woman staring at him. She had long black hair, bright green eyes and pale skin. She was about John's age, maybe older.

"Hello," she greeted him; her voice was light and full of mischief. She neared him, a smirk on her lips.

"Hello," John replied. The girl snatched the bottle cap away from John's grip. John protested however she silenced him by placing a finger on his lips. "Man, how nostalgic," she said, raising the bottle cap into the sky.

"I suppose you're looking for something," she asked him. John who was overwhelmed by the girl's actions nodded.

"A ring," he said, "Lost in the 1940's."

He smiled and took the bottle cap back from the girl. "And since I've found this bottle cap that was lost in the 1940's, I wouldn't be surprised if I found a ring."

"A ring?" the girl asked.

John nodded. "An old man lost it…I think it meant a lot to him."

John squats down and begun to shift the grass aside.

"Hmm…" the girl said. She squats beside him and begun to help him. John was amused; however he didn't say a word. They stayed like this for hours, searching; talking a little…before evening came.

The setting sun had turned the sky a deep orange hue. The Sakura blossoms seem to stand out even more making the park look mystical. The girl gave a big sigh and stood up.

"Well, looks like we didn't find it," she said. John nodded, feeling disappointed.

"I guess Masako was right, there's no way we can find a ring lost over 60 years ago," John thought to himself. His downcast face must have started something, as the girl grabs his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"We meet here, tomorrow!" she shouted at him, "We're not going to give up so easily."

"Eh?" John asked. The girl smirked and patted him on his back.

"We meet here tomorrow, 8am sharp," she said, before running off.

John watched as the girl left.

"Who was she?" he thought to himself, before shrugging and making his way home.

"**You're here!"**

The girl greeted him. John couldn't help but smile, her energetic greeting was filled with life. "Ok, let's go find this ring," she said and took John by his hand. John found this gesture to be farmiliar. He frowned. The hand that had gripped his was very nostalgic. He shook the feeling away and begun to follow the girl.

They walked further into the park. The Sakura trees got denser and soon John found himself in a clearing surrounded by Sakura trees.

"Where are we?" he asked the girl. The girl smiled. "The oldest part of the park, I figured we could start here." She said.

John smiled and nodded. They dug the soil, dug their hands into bushes, and picked the grasses. Still the ring was nowhere to be found. Soon, morning turned to afternoon, the sun unlike the day before was hot, blazing hot. John tapped the girl's shoulder and motioned her to the benches that lay by the side of the park.

"But we haven't found it yet," the girl protested.

"Our health is more important," John answered, taking the girl by the arm and pulling her to the chair. They sat in silence, each not saying anything until she spoke.

"You remind me of somebody," she said. John shocked, turned to look at the girl. The feeling of déjà vu was back. The more he looked at her, the more he realized she looked like somebody.

"Who are you?" he asked the girl.

The girl turned and smirked. "How rude," she said, "For a man to ask a name of a lady's, without introducing himself first."

John blushed, "John Brown," he said. "My name is John Brown."

The girl seemed to pause, she then took his hand. John flinched. He turned and found the girl smiling sadly at him. John felt his heart beat faster. The smile was farmiliar…too farmiliar.

"Let's meet again tomorrow, John," the girl whispered. John nodded, as if in a trance. "Same time, same place." She said before standing up and running off again. After she left, John clasped both his hand together.

His hands…felt incredibly cold.

"**Why are you here?"**

The old man shouted fiercely at Masako. Masako sighed, walking into the ward. She had a basket in her hands, one that contained apples. She took a seat on a red couch that was located near the foot of the old man's bed.

"To visit," she said. The old man glanced at her, before snorting.

"Are you having a guilty conscience?" he asked her. Masako took out a knife and begun to skin an apple. She looked at the old man, knife in her hands. "No," she answered, "I just wanted to know if you're dead or not."

"Why you-!" the old man shouted before coughing violently. Masako stood up and placed the skinned apple on a plate. She cut it into eight equal pieces and gave it to the old man.

"Try not to move too much, you might kill yourself," she said. The old man looked at the apples, his gaze softens and he took one; eating it silently.

"I can't tell whether your kind or just plain annoying," the old man murmured.

"You're annoying," Masako told the old man who winced. He started to laugh and took another piece of apple from the plate. "What happened to the young boy who was with you yesterday?" the old man asked her.

Masako sighed. She had a feeling she knew where he was, but it was better to ignore it. After all, it annoyed her.

Why was she doing so much for this old man? Why did she even bother to visit him?

The image of John's bothered face flashed across her mind. Masako took the knife and begun to skin another apple.

"Tell me, why did you come to visit me?" the old man asked suddenly. Masako almost dropped her apple. She felt her face flush. She didn't want to do this…but she had too.

She took in a deep breath. "I can sense things," she explained to the old man. "See things, smell things…I have supernatural powers…ESP is what you would want to call it."

The old man's eyes widened.

"You sure!" he shouted, "Than you can help me find the ring!"

Masako was stunned by his reaction. She was expecting the old man to be scared of her.

"You're not…scared?" she asked. She remembered the times where she had to investigate others. How humans afraid of her power had shunned her. How the media had exploited her powers.

The old man frowned, "And why should I be, aren't your powers wonderful…and believe me, if you have lived as long as I have nothing scares you anymore."

"Eh," Masako said mockingly, she went towards the old man and placed her hand on his arm. The old man didn't even flinch.

"I think it's my turn to call you a pervert," the old man said. "Shut up, Timothy," Masako told the man. His eyes widened. "How did you know that?" he asked.

Masako smirked, "I have ESP. I told you."

The old man pauses for a moment before smiling, "Then can you tell me where my ring is."

"You threw it away," Masako said. The old man flinched. "When she didn't come and meet you that night, you got upset, you threw it into some bushes and left…you wanted to scold her when you got back home…however once you reached home you found a note on the desk." She said.

The old man pulled his arm away from Masako's grasps. Masako's eyes widened, flashes of the man's life continued to flow through her. She wanted to puke. The note on the desk…the warning sirens of approaching planes carrying bombs…the date…it was world war 2…the man was panicking…he ran out into the open streets…bombs crashed into houses, fires started burning and spreading. The smell of death and rot waffled into Masako's nose. It burnt. Everywhere people were screaming, the man was screaming. He was hurt, his arms and legs cut and bleeding, his chest burnt from the fire.

"Anna!" he called out. The houses collapsed. He ran and ran, trying to find her, but he could not see her. Children, women and men ran past him. He ran into the fire calling her name. Desperation was overtaking him; his heart was filled with pain.

He shouldn't have bought that ring, he thought to himself, he should have went straight home…he should have went straight home and stop Anna from leaving. A bomb crashed into a house a few blocks away, shards of metal flew into his directions, pain gripped him and he fell to the ground.

"Anna!' he called out again.

A bright light flashed and Masako saw a woman. A woman who was crying, clutching her tummy. She was seated by a dressing table, the newspaper by her side. She was crying, filled with sorrow. She was torn; she didn't know where to go.

She was pregnant.

"I'm sorry, Timothy…I cannot stay with you any longer." The note read.

The man screamed. Masako screamed, and then it was over.

She was on the ground, her hands covering her ears, her eyes tearing. A nurse was over her calling her name. The old man was looking at her, worry in his eyes. She was panting, and panting hard. The nurse helped her up and brought her to a chair.

"Are you alright?" she asked Masako. Masako looked at the old man who was staring at her. Sadness gripped Masako.

"I'm alright," Masako told the nurse. The nurse frowned, before leaving the room.

"Yes," the old man spoke suddenly, "I threw the ring away…I went back home to find a note written by her, she had left me…soon after, bombs exploded in the streets of Japan…and I was severely injured…after the war I heard from Anna. She had settled in Australia and she had married a new man. She told me she was pregnant with a child and that she was sorry for everything."

Pregnant?

She was pregnant…

Something clicked, Masako gasped, she glanced at the old man.

"I wanted to get her back," the old man whispered, "I wanted to fly to Australia to get her back, but I was afraid, afraid that I might break apart the family…I waited and waited, until I turned into an old man…then one day I realized that I had to put an end to it."

"I'm dying from lung cancer," he said, "The doctor said I have not much time left…then I remembered the ring and I realized that I wanted to give it to her…no matter what."

Masako took in one deep shaky breath. "Mr Brown, I think-"

She paused, before shaking her head. She stood up, "Rest well old man," she said.

The old man smiled, took an apple from Masako's basket and gave it to her. "Thank you for listening," he whispered. "That was enough."

Masako left the room, tears forming in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and swears.

"I'm becoming a Mai," she muttered to herself. She walked out of the hospital, a new resolution forming in her head. Taking out a hand phone she dialed a number. "Hello," she talked into her phone, "Naru, I need a favor."

**Well, that's part 1 folks, if you know where I am going with this, please give me your answers XD **

**And I know it's a little late and all but…answering the Pi question from chapter 5.**

**I thought of that theory myself…though if you were to present it to a mathematician they might look at it and laugh their heads off. Why? Because it has no proof. After all I came up with the theory after reading about Poincare Conjecture…which I still do not understand : D **


	11. File 2 Sakura no Sakura 2

Done PHEW, oh my god, I'M never writing a short story ever again. It was so hard to write…so…hard. Guess it wasn't my character to write something like this.

So here you go, enjoy : D.

Please pardon my grammatical, tenses and spelling (?) mistakes. I shall improve.

File 2#

Sakura no Sakura

"**I see you're here again,"**

John told the girl who was waiting for him. The nameless girl that he had met before was laying on the grass staring at the black sky.

"Looks like a morning spring rain would be coming soon," the girl pointed out. John looked at the sky. The beautiful weather that had lasted for 2 days seemed to have gone somewhere else.

The sky was gray, almost black, clouds looked heavy and dreary. The Sakura blossom moist from the humid air seemed to have lost its usual vibrancy. John took in a breath of the air. It was sharp filled with energy,

"Looks like a thunder storm," he told the girl, "Want to search tomorrow instead?"

"No," the girl answered, she stood up and took John's hand again. She led him down another path different from the day before. Her hands still cold, freezing cold. John did not let go.

It got darker as more clouds gathered. "Where are we going?" John asked the girl. The girl did not answer, her black hair flowing out behind her, wild from the strong winds. She pulled him further down a path. A path he wasn't farmiliar with. Soon the path reached a dead end, the girl leapt into the grass, pulling John through the Sakura trees.

The Sakura petals that have fallen on the ground flew around their feet.

"Stop," John protested, realizing that the girl was strong. She was pulling him and he could not free himself from her grip. John felt himself stumble, he cried out as he landed face first into grass that was covered in Sakura petals.

Pain gripped him and he groaned. He looked up and found that he was on the path again. He stood up fast, stunned. He could have sworn that he had been in the Sakura forest a few moments ago.

"Looking for me?" the girl's voice cried out. John turned and found the girl standing under a Sakura tree. Her eyes, a clear deep green, her mouth twisted into a sickening smile.

"Who exactly are you?" John muttered. The girl smiled, "You don't remember?" she muttered, her voice creepily soft. "Let me give you a clue." She said. She lunges forward and touches John's fore head. John winced before gasping.

The girl then started to run away, disappearing into the Sakura forest.

"Hey!" he called out, "Who are you!" he shouted.

Lightning struck and thunder roared, rain like hail came down from the skies. The fat water droplets felt like tiny bullets, they stung. John ran through the path, desperate to find the girl. Lightning flashed, thunder struck, John winced.

"What are you doing?' a farmiliar voice greeted him. He turned and found that the rain didn't sting anymore. An umbrella hung over him, a red umbrella. He turned and found Masako, wearing a dark blue kimono, her feet soaked.

"H…Hara-san," he said. He sneezed and Masako took him by his sleeves.

"Come," she told him, pulling him. They reached a public toilet, one that lay on the outskirts of the Sakura Park. Taking shelter outside the male's toilet they stood there. John begun to wring himself dry, he then glance sideways at Masako who was staring at the down pouring rain.

She turned suddenly, meeting John's gaze. John blushed and was about to turn away when Masako grabs him and pulls him close. He yelped.

"H…Hara-san?' he asked nervously.

"You smell like fox, Brown-san," Masako whispered, "A sickening rotten smell…did you encounter anything?"

John gulped, remembering the girl from before.

"N…nothing," he said. Masako gave him a suspicious glare before sitting down on a bench provided. "About the old man," she said, "I want to help him."

"Eh?" John asked, not sure if he heard wrongly. Masako blushed, "I said I want to help him…and yes, I would be helping you." She said.

John felt a warm feeling in his chest, he couldn't help but smile. The warm feeling grew when Masako turn to stare at him. For a second, John wanted to hug her.

"What are you looking at?" Masako snapped. John shook his head, blushing furiously.

"N…nothing," he said again.

The heavy downpour became a slight drizzle, the dark ominous clouds seemed to be clearing up. Masako raised the red umbrella before standing up.

"Let's search for it, Brown-san," she said. John nodded, moving under her umbrella and walking once again towards the path.

The search was fruitless of course. John went home after walking Masako to the train station.

"John, why are you so wet," his mother's warm voice greeted him from the kitchen. John sighed and took off his blouse, dropping it into the washing machine. "Quick; dry yourself; I don't want you dripping water all over the carpet." His mother nagged.

John bath and changed before sitting himself at the dining table. A nice warm meal was laid out in front of him. It was his favorite, Japanese curry with rice.

The house was quieter. His grandma wasn't here to make fun of him or his mother. It was lonely. John took a bite out of the warm curry. It soothe him, comforted him. His mother who has finished washing the dishes joined him, setting two cups of warm tea on the table.

"Everything would be alright," his mother told him. John nodded, taking another bite of his curry. There was a lump in his throat, a lump that refuses to go away. He wanted to cry, but he knew that would make his mother worry.

When he finished his curry, he suddenly remembered the girl from this afternoon. He stood up. Something about the girl was bugging her.

"I'm going to sleep, Mom," John told his mother who nodded.

John walked up the stairs but instead of going into his room, he went straight into his grandma's room. Something about the girl was farmiliar…too farmiliar.

The room his grandma had once lived in had grown lonely. The air stale. John sat on the wooden ground and opened his grandma's cupboard. There were old dresses inside her cupboard, some shirts and sweat pants. John opened a drawer and blushed.

A few women's underwear was inside. He slammed the drawer closed before moving onto another drawer. He opened it and was surprised to see a small lone diary sitting in there. The diary was old and wrinkly. Its pages fragile when John opened it.

He handled it carefully, afraid that it might break.

He read it contents and frowned. "What is this," he muttered, "Is this German?"

John closed the small diary sighing. He couldn't read the language at all. He looked into the drawer again and realized that the bottom of the drawer was loose. Intrigued he tapped the bottom of the drawer; it gave off a hollow sound.

"Eh," John whispered. He pulled the bottom out and realized that there was a secret compartment beneath the bottom of the drawer. There in that secret compartment was a small faded red box and a photo. John picked them up, then gasped, looking at the photo. The girl in the black and white photo was smiling with a young boy. "Grandma?" John whispered.

There was a sudden strong gust of wind. The windows flew opened with so much force that it slammed against the wall, shattering the glass. John yelped as he saw a large white fox floating outside the window. It was surrounded by blue fire balls. Sharp teeth gleamed in the moon light, it red eyes sharp and fierce glaring at John.

"Keekekekekeke!" it screeched, flying into the room. John cried out as the fox brushed past him, pain gripped John. His arm felt like they were burning.

Then the fox turned around the room, coming straight for him. John gasped, falling to the ground as the fox went through him. The blue fire balls engulfed him burning him up. John screamed, his insides felt like they were burning, burning in flames.

He crashed onto the ground writhing in pain, the photo and red box falling away from his hands.

The fox neared him, its teeth sharp; ready to bite when the doors flew open. He heard his mother scream, John's vision blurred and then darkness.

"_I did nothing wrong," John protested. His grandma laughed, holding his hand tightly in hers. He was 6 years old, a stubborn naïve boy who knew nothing. "Well, John taking the cookie without asking permission from the shop keeper is a bad thing." She said a mischievous glint in her eyes._

_John pouted, "Why is that wrong, the cookie was placed outside the shop." John muttered. His grandma brought him further down the Sakura path. He looked at his grandma's aging features, her gray hair and her green eyes._

"_You were wrong John, because you took something away without asking," she said finally, bring him to a bench. They both sat down, a calm breeze blew past and his grandma stared at the Sakura blossoms. "Why is that wrong?" John asked, not understanding._

"_Think about it John," his grandma spoke, "If I took your Mama and Papa away from you, would you be happy?"_

_John stiffened, he shook his head. _

"_It's the same," she said, her voice softens, "If you take something or leave somebody alone without any reason…I'm sure it would hurt somebody a lot."_

_John did not understand much then, but when he looked at his grandma's sad eyes, he understood that she was hurt. Something was bugging her and he wanted to do something for her. John took a hold of his grandma's hand and squeezed it._

"_I would never leave you grandma!" he exclaimed._

_His grandma's eyes widened and she burst out laughing, ruffling his hair with her fingers. _

"_You're young John, you'll learn," his grandma told him, "Promise me John, promise me never to take something away from someone…promise this and I'll tell you a secret."_

"_A secret?" John asked._

_His grandma smiled. John nodded; his grandma whispered the words into his ear._

"_My name was A-"_

"**Ah**," Masako and Mai said together.

"Why are you here?" Masako asked the usual annoyed look on her face. Mai had a sudden urge to punch the girl but held herself.

"Here you go," Mai said, passing a file to the girl who was wearing the kimono. Masako looked pissed; she snatched the file from Mai.

"Hey, where's your thanks," Mai told the girl who waved her off.

"Why are you here instead of Naru," Masako asked Mai.

"Huh, why should he be here?" Mai retorted. Masako flinched before walking away.

"I demand a thanks!" Mai yelled at the girl, chasing after her.

"Your annoying, buzz off, I remembered asking help from Naru, not you." Masako told Mai who frowned.

"Oh so that's why he told me to do some research," Mai told Masako.

"You did this," Masako said looking at the file.

Mai smiled, seeing the girl's shocked face. "If Naru hadn't asked me to do this, I would have never brought you this piece of research." Mai said and Masako smirked.

"Ha ha, you…a person who loves to sticks her nose in other people's business, will not bring this file? I highly doubt so," Masako said.

Mai paused, her temper rising. She sighed.

"Aye, aye, I'm a busy body alright…so why do you need this information?" Mai asked.

"There you go again, sticking your nose in my business," Masako said. Mai felt the sudden urge to punch the girl. Masako flipped through the contents in the file before sighing.

"As I suspected, this is turning into a bigger pain in the ass then I thought it would be," she muttered.

'What is?" Mai asked.

"Nothing," Masako said, "Now get lost."

Mai felt anger surging through her veins. She took a hold of Masako's shoulder and gripped it hard. "I won't leave until I hear you say thank you." She said.

"Why should I," Masako muttered.

"Because I feel the need to teach you some manners," Mai muttered.

Masako's eye brows twitched and she turned around, pushing the file into Mai's hand. A sweet fake smile on her face, she bowed; like a servant bowing to an emperor, lowering her head to the ground. "Thank you oh sweet master for everything that you have done for me," she said loudly. 'I am greatly indebted to you, would you like me to wash your back tonight master!"

"N…NO!" Mai shouted.

"Ara, why not? I know master cannot wash her own back by herself, so why not allow me to do so!"

The people on the crowded streets had stopped to stare at the commotion. A few school girls whom walked passed started to chortle. Mai turned a bright shade of red, embarrassed.

"W…what are you doing!" she exclaimed. Masako stood up, dusting her kimono, the fake smile filled with menace still on her face.

"Showing you manners," Masako said before walking away. Mai gripped the file tightly in her hands. "MASAKOOO!" she shouted, chasing after the girl.

Both girls went into a café where they sat down. The café was a small one, usually crowded during the weekend; it was empty today because it was a Tuesday. The waiter took their orders and left the girls alone.

Masako would have wanted Naru to be here instead of Mai, but since the girl was here, Masako couldn't complain.

"Open the file again, Mai," Masako commanded. The red head snorted and opened the file to the first page. There on the front page was John's family tree.

"Why are we looking up John's family tree anyway?" Mai said. Masako ignored the girl. She looked at the names.

John family tree was short. It had only three generations; the oldest generation was that of his grandma and grandpa.

"John Brown," Masako whispered, tracing upwards she found John's mother. "Kelly Brown…she's the oldest of her siblings," Mai muttered beside Masako.

"Hmm," Masako said. She looked up and found herself staring at Kelly Brown's mother.

"Mary Brown?" she said. Mai nodded, sipping her coffee. "And that's the funny bit…when I first saw the name, something felt off." Mai told Masako.

Masako glanced at Mai. "You felt it too?" she asked Mai and Mai nodded.

"Somehow the name felt fake, so I dug deeper and I found that Mary Brown actually changed her name."

"Huh?" Masako asked. Mai flipped the page and Masako found herself looking at an official document. "Naru helped me with that," Mai said, she pointed at the name circled in red.

"Mary's name used to be Anna," Mai spoke, Masako's blood running cold, "Anna Redwood."

Masako stood up suddenly, causing Mai to spill her coffee on herself. "Hey what's your problem?" Mai shouted at Masako.

Masako took the file and stuffed it in her hand bag.

"Masako?" Mai asked. Masako turned.

There was only one place to go now.

John's grandma bore Timothy Brown's child…she was pregnant with his child…the child was John's mother. She ran away because of the war. She didn't want her child to be born in a war so filled with chaos so she ran. Ran and then married another man…however she couldn't forget Timothy so she came back to Japan…where she and her new husband settled and started a family.

"What is this, a romance movie," Masako shouted, frustration sinking in.

John's grandpa is alive…his name is Timothy Brown and he is dying of lung cancer.

If there was anything Masako could do for the old man…it was this.

Her hand phone rang; Masako picked it up in annoyance.

"What that old fart ran away from the hospital!" Masako shouted into the phone. The nurse at the other end stammered a response. "The police are looking for him…he doesn't have any family members…so we were wondering if you knew where he is?"

"Call off the search," Masako said, "I know where that old fart is."

"Oh…ok, it would be best if you brought him back to the hospital, his very weak," the nurse told Masako.

Masako sighed, putting down the phone when it rang again.

"Hello," she said. "Naru?"

Naru's voice came in clear and sharp from the other end. "John's house has been broken into, his mother is distraught…she mentioned a flying white fox."

"Eh?" Masako whispered.

"John is missing."

"_**Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,**_

_**On Meadow-hills and mountains**_

_**As far as you can see.**_

_**Is it a mist, or clouds?**_

_**Fragrant in the morning sun.**_

_**Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,**_

_**Flowers in full bloom."**_

John woke, the sweet sad farmiliar melody drifting in the winds. He winced as pain gripped him.

"Your awake," a sweet voice greeted him. He gasped, sitting up, finding himself amidst a thousand Sakura trees in full blossom. They surrounded him and the girl who stood in front. The girl with the black long hair, pale skin and bright green eyes.

"You," John whispered before crying out in pain. The girl smiled. "Oh sweet boy," she said, "Can't you remember your own grandma's face?"

His eyes widened, remembering the black and white photo he had found in his grandma's drawer. "Grandma?" he whispered.

The girl smiled, walking closer towards him. "Yes, John," she said, her voice becoming gentle. "I'm your grandma."

"Don't you remember the song I've just sung…the sweet sad song?" she said. John nodded. The girl touches his face, a warm and gentle hand.

"Why do you sing it grandma?" John asked the girl.

"Do you want to know, John?" the girl asked. John nodded.

"Come, John," she whispered. John reached out about to fall into the girl's grasps.

"STOP!" a voice shouted. Something bumped into John hard. He fell onto the ground and groaned. He looked up and to his horror found a giant white fox floating above him. The fox had 9 tails and its jagged sharp teeth were jutting out from its mouth.

Blue fire balls surrounded it, its red eyes was filled with menace and anger.

John turned and found the old man on top of him.

"Mr Brown!" John shouted.

The old man was panting, breathing faintly. "Go boy, get out of here!' the old man shouted, "Don't sell your soul to this devil!"

The fox begun to morph again, its features turning to that of his grandma when she was a young girl. The old man's eyes widened.

"Anna!" the old man screamed. John gasped. "Anna!" the old man screamed again reaching out to the girl.

John picked the old man up and ran. "That's a fox demon, Mr Brown!" he shouted. "A kitsune!"

"No that was Anna!" the old man shouted. "That was Anna!"

John's heart was racing.

What did he mean…why was his grandma Anna. John gasped, looking at the old man who he was pulling.

"_Promise me John, promise me never to take something away from someone…promise this and I'll tell you a secret."_

"_A secret?" John asked._

_His grandma smiled. John nodded; his grandma whispered the words into his ear._

"_My name was A-"_

"Anna," John whispered.

He tripped and fell to the ground gasping. The Sakura blossoms around him rustled. The old man fell on top of him. The fox demon above him.

"I shall devour you now!" the fox demon screamed. It came down fast, the blue fires rushing towards him and the old man.

John pushed the old man aside, turned around and held up a cross.

"In the name of Jesus, disappear!" he shouted.

The fox demon screamed as the blue flame turned against it. It collapsed on the ground, trying to push its blue flame away. John ran towards it, about to destroy it when it lashed out. Its sharp claws slashing John's hand. John cried out crashing onto the ground, his blood staining the Sakura petals on the ground red.

The fox appeared above him, its red eyes cursing him to die. Its mouth wide open exposing the million rows of sharp teeth. It lunges forward, John closed his eyes.

"ANNA!" the old man shouted.

"John…" a voice whispered. John opened his eyes and found the fox struggling. It couldn't proceed forward and it seemed to be fighting with something. The fox turned small, transforming into a girl again. Turning into his grandma.

"Kill me now John," the girl whispered.

John stunned couldn't move.

"Kill me!" the girl shouted.

"Grandma…" John whispered.

The girl disappeared and the fox reappeared. "DIE!" it screamed its teeth about to bite into John when a bright blue light exploded around them.

"Despicable!" a voice that sounded like Masako shouted. The girl wearing a deep blue kimono came towards them. She had paper like charms stuck in her hands. The fox turned its attention to Masako. "Possessing a human's love one to lure them into their deaths…you devouring fox demon!" Masako shouted, throwing a charm. "How dare you possess John's grandma!"

Another blue light exploded and John winced.

The fox demon screamed, lunging towards Masako. John took this chance; he stood up and raised his hand.

"In the name of Jesus, return to where you came from demon, Amen!" he shouted.

The fox demon screamed, it disintegrated and turned into a gray dust. Masako stomped on the gray dust and it scattered. John panted, sinking to his knees. Masako ran towards him. "Are you alright!" she shouted.

"Never mind me…Mr Brown…" John said.

The both of them walked towards the old man who was lying on the ground, breathing in deep ragged breaths.

"What are you doing out here, old man!" Masako scolded the old man who smiled. He grabs a hold of Masako's hand. "Anna," he whispered.

"His delusional," Masako muttered.

The Sakura blossoms rustled, lighted up by the bright lamp lights, bring pink blossoms. It contrasted with the dark starry night sky. A beautiful scene.

John shook his head, a small smile fitting into his lips. Masako fell limp suddenly and she begun to glow. "Grandma," he whispered, looking at Masako who is possessed.

"Anna, your back," the old man whispered. "To the place with first met."

Masako, who was now Anna, smiled. She opened her hands and produced a red box. The box that John had found in his grandma's drawer.

"I wanted to give this to you," she muttered to the old man. "I bought it years ago."

She opened it and in it was a ring. Tears rolled down the old man's face. Anna gripped on hard to the old man's hand.

"Timothy," she whispered.

"_What is the title of the song you were singing just now?" Timothy asked the girl named Anna. Anna laughs, placing the hat on her red brown chestnut hair. Her green eyes staring back at Timothy._

"_A song I learnt from a woman who lived just opposite me," she said._

"_Eh," Timothy whispered._

"_Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,_

_On Meadow-hills and mountains_

_As far as you can see._

_Is it a mist, or clouds?_

_Fragrant in the morning sun._

_Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,_

_Flowers in full bloom."_

_The girl sang and Timothy felt goose bumps rising at the back of his neck. The Sakura blossoms rustled and pink petals started to fall._

"_You cannot see it," Anna continued, "You cannot touch it, hidden from view, hidden away; is it in the mist or clouds? Fragrant and sweet, it can only be felt."_

"_What does that mean?" Timothy asked the girl._

_Anna smiled, placing a finger on her lips. "It's a secret."_

"Anna, I understand," the old man whispered. Masako possessed by Anna, smiled.

John reached out and lifted the old man. "Mr Brown, it's time to head back."

"No," the old man whispered, "My time is up, please leave me here."

Sadness took a hold of John's heart and he laid the old man back on the ground. He took a hold of Anna's hands and smiled. "I'll be joining you soon, Anna," he whispered.

He then turned to John.

"Thanks a lot, young man," the old man told him.

"No problem," John whispered, "Grandpa."

"**So you didn't tell your mother," **Masako asked John. John shook his head and Masako raised the kimono sleeves to her nose.

"Your pretty sensitive guys aren't you," she said. John smiled nervously. They were standing outside the crematorium, watching the black smoke rising from the tall chimney.

"My mom does not need to know…after all, she was raised by Richard, my grandpa…she doesn't need to know about this." He told Masako who sighed when she saw John tear. He was crying.

Masako raised her hand and awkwardly patted his back. "If it hurts too much, just let it out," she said. John let his tears flow freely.

"They're in a better place now," he said.

"Yup," Masako said, before taking a hold of John's long white sleeves. "Come," she said.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"To see the Sakura blossoms, what else?"

John smiled and wiped his tears away. "Ok," he whispered.

**The pink Noh mask which you took the candle from, was leaking tears. You took a hold of it and wiped its tears away, before holding up the candle.**

"**This story ends here," you whispered, and blew out the candle. The pink Noh mask fell to the ground. **

**Darkness covered the room. **

"**It's my turn now," a voice whispered from within the darkness. The darkness disappeared as a black Noh mask appeared carrying another white candle. You smiled, as it set its candle in front of you.**

"**Tell us," it whispered, "The next story."**

And file 2 is done…let's move on to file 3 shall we XD can't wait to post the first chapter of file 3.

The supernatural being for file 2 is called a Kitsune, also known as a fox demon. Although in this story it's shown to be a devourer, it's actually more of a seductresses. You can look up about the kitsune on Wikipedia.

The song that John's grandma sing, is a old folk song created in the Edo era by god knows who. ** Check out the full lyrics in Wikipedia. **Also if you want know what it sounds like go to YouTube and type in, Sakura Japanese Folk Song 1.

It is a nice, melodic sad piece. This story was inspired by it.

And yep, to all Masako X John fans, there would be more coming up, but next story would focus back on Naru and Mai. More horror, more mystery, I can't wait to write it : D


	12. File 3 Black Monk 1

**And here comes file 3# YAY CELEBRATES XD I'm been dying to write this since I started this story :D. So here you go, file 3.**

**Then 97 more files. -_- I should have make it 50 stories. Why did I let myself be inspired by a hundred ghost stories. (I would complete it, for sure)**

**Also, I read through File 2 Sakura no Sakura 2…and found myself staring a John's family tree. I'm sorry people…I'm sorry for making John's family surnames all Brown. I know I found it weird too, so I'm sorry.**

**So enough of my babblings, enjoy :D**

**Sorry for my grammatical, spelling (?) tenses mistakes, I shall improve. **

Prologue

The candle flickered. The black Noh mask stared at you, its empty hollow eyes digging deep into your soul. You took in a deep breath, the candle burnt, white wax dripped onto the wooden floor. You spoke.

File 3#

Black Monks

Kyoto

"Tea," Naru's voice sounded when Mai stepped into the office.

Mai who had a bad day before couldn't help but feel immense irritation crawling up her skin. "Aye, aye," she said, taking a hold of the pot and placing it on the stove. Dumping green dried tea leaves into the pot and pouring water in after that. She switches the stove on and left it as it was.

Naru was seated on the green couch, his empty tea cup held towards Mai. He was engrossed in a book. Another strange book that Mai have never seen before. "Yamagata preserved monks?' she asked, reading the title of the book. Naru ignored her and pushed his empty cup towards her, his eyes not once leaving the book.

Mai sighed, taking the cup and slamming it on the kitchen counter. She stayed there until the tea pot hissed. She then poured the contents into the cup and brought the piping hot tea out with a tray.

Naru took the cup and sipped it.

"Bland," was his reply. Mai wanted to use the tray on his head but decided against it.

It was a normal day in Shibuya Psychic research. Nothing much happens in this office, Lin would be working away on his computer in another room, Naru would be seated on the green couch looking through some abnormal books and Mai would be working away in the kitchen counter, preparing tea for Naru and Lin.

Sometimes though, abnormal cases would spring up. Some people would come into the office to ask for advice; some would state their case only to be decline by the office 17 year old boss, Shibuya Kazuya. A highly intelligent, expressionless and mysterious handsome boy. Mai's nickname for him was Naru because of his slightly make that highly egoistic attitude.

Lin was Naru's body guard. A tall, stoic Chinese man that originally came from Hong Kong. He was a powerful exorcist whose powers have saved Mai more than once.

Mai sighed, placing the tea leaves back into the cupboard before joining Naru on the couch. "Another boring day isn't it Naru," Mai said. The boy closed his book and places it on the table.

"If you find it boring Mai, why not you fill that empty head of yours with knowledge," his said coolly. Mai tensed and waved a fist at him. Naru took a sip from his cup again.

"I'm not the sort of person who reads creepy books all day…and besides, what's with the Yamagata preserved monks," Mai said looking at the creepy red cover. Naru places the cup on the table and launches into a lecture.

"Yamagata preserved monks are famous throughout the world, here in Japan, some consider them to be living gods," Naru said. "Many men or you could say monks have tried to become living gods, but only 24 have been successful."

"Living gods?" Mai asked.

Naru opened up the book and Mai grimace when she saw the gruesome picture of a dried up human, black and shriveled up. He looked like a skeleton wrapped up in dry preserved brownish black tracing paper. The preserved man was dressed in a red traditional Japanese cloth. In his fingers were beads and small bells that were used during prayer.

"This is one of the successful monks who managed to make himself into a 'living god'." Naru said, pointing to the picture. "What makes them famous is they do not go through embalming after their dead…but go through the process of preservation while they are living."

Mai gasped, "Wait so these people did this to themselves…they wanted this." Mai said.

Naru nodded. "The men who wanted to become living gods go through a process of mummification while they are still living. The men ate dried bark, cereals or dry herbs, they ate nothing else. And for years that would be their diet. Of course the men would become reed thin and very weak. It is said that these men became so light that they couldn't even sink when placed in water."

Mai gulped as Naru continued, "Apart from eating dried food stuff, the men would go to sacred places to pray or meditate…after 10 years, or more, if the man feels like he is ready, he would dig a hole in the ground…dig it big enough for him to enter. There he would enter, and he would be buried in the ground alive. A bamboo pole would be attached to the hole to allow oxygen to enter. There in the hole the man would meditate until death comes. The man in the hole would also carry a bell, and as each day pass he would ring it once…if the bell stops ringing, his followers would know that he has died. They would then seal the hole which has now become a tomb."

"Three years later, the tomb would be open…if the man is still preserved, they would be enshrined and made into living gods, also known as the preserved monks of Yamagata." Naru said. Mai took the book up and looked at the picture, shivers went down her spine.

"Then what about those who have failed?" Mai asked.

"Then an exorcism would be carried out," Naru said. "Those who have failed are considered corrupted and impure…therefore they could not be made into living gods."

Mai placed the book on the table. "I'll leave the reading of these books to you," Mai said creped out. "Why would anybody want to do such a thing?" she muttered.

"Nobody knows," Naru said, placing his empty cup on the table and signaling for Mai to pour him more. "But it's interesting."

"My foot," Mai whispered, standing up and walking to the kitchen taking the pot. She was just about to fill Naru's empty cup when the doors open.

Mai turned surprised to see a man dressed in a black working suit. The man was middle aged, probably in his fifties. He had graying hair and he was rather plum. He had a moustache and had small beady eyes.

"Shibuya Psychic research?" the man spoke, his voice deep.

"Yes," Naru answered, "What business do you have with us?"

The man took out a handkerchief and dabbed his sweaty forehead. He smiled nervously as Naru beckoned for him to seat.

"Who is in charge here?" the man asked.

"That would be me," Naru answered. The man was taken aback.

Well Mai wasn't surprised, after all their boss Shibuya Kazuya was only 17 years old.

"But you're young," the man replied.

"And would that be a problem?" Naru asked. The man paused, hesitating before he sighed.

Mai sat a tea cup down before the man who thanked her.

"My name is Toshiro Ren," the man introduced himself, "I serve the Kanazawari family branch, they reside in Kyoto." He took a sip of the tea before making a face.

"It's bland," he muttered. Mai's eye brows twitched.

"What is your business here Ren-san?" Naru asked the man. The man paused again before producing a brown envelope from under his black coat. The brown envelope was thick. Mai realized that there was a tape in there.

"I have served the Kanazawari's for a long time," the man said, "And up till now, I have never seen anything like this."

"My master's son Utsume is possessed," he said, his face turning pale, "We fear that the spirit possessing Utsume is a malicious one."

Naru raised his eye brow. "And what makes you think that Utsume is possessed?" he asked. Toshiro Ren turned paler and this time when he spoke he looked weary.

"Everything started with the death of Master's oldest son…Kenta-kun," Toshiro spoke, "Kenta's body was found in a remote part of a hill behind his university. When they found Kenta, the policemen found charms stuck to Kenta's mouth…they said that it was murder, a katana was found a few meters away from the scene of the crime. However the murderer hasn't be caught yet."

"What was Kenta-kun doing in the mountains?" Naru asked.

The man wiped his forehead, "We do not know…but his eyes were wide open…as if screaming in terror when I saw him in the morgue," he said.

"After that, strange things started to happen around the house. Sometimes doors would open by themselves, sometimes you would hear voices screaming but when you find the source they would disappear. Recently, the other servants are afraid to go down to the basement…they say that something is lurking down there, something evil. One of them has been scratched by it. She quit soon after…she told me that she couldn't take it; when I asked her why, she told me that she keeps seeing black shadows at the corner of her eyes."

Mai shivered.

"The master did not care about these things…calling the stories, servant gossip…but the last draw came when his son got possessed. Utsume became very strange after Kenta-kun's death. In the morning he would be lifeless, he would scream and whine whenever the servants tried to get him out of bed. In the evening he would be active, real active, running around the house like a little kid. The servants were afraid to go near him. Then when the clock strikes 11pm…things got really weird." Toshiro said.

"How weird?" Naru asked.

Toshiro scratches his head and then passes the envelope to Naru.

"I do not know how to explain it…it would be clearer if you take a look at this."

"Lin," Naru commanded. Mai jumped when the quiet man appeared out of nowhere. The man took a hold of the envelope and opened it. Inside was a tape, which Lin promptly placed into the VCR machine. He pressed the play button.

The screen buzzed to life. The video was blur, taken from a poor angle with poor lighting. The screen fizzed before focusing on a boy. The boy was laying on a futon, sleeping soundly. There were a few men surrounding the boy, dressed in traditional religious clothing.

"Those are the exorcist my master hired," Toshiro muttered. Mai looked closely and frowned. The head exorcist who was wearing a strange yellow cap was dancing a weird dance, sprinkling some bits of orange peel onto the boy who was laying on the futon. The boy must be Utsume, Mai thought, and the exorcist is a bloody fake.

Suddenly, the video burst into life, rapping sounds exploded throughout the boy's room. The exorcist in the video fell to the ground, they looked terrified. Mai's eyes widened as she heard a low growling sound coming from the boy who was sleeping on the futon.

The man who was filming the video must have gotten scared, because he seemed to have dropped the camera. The angle of the video was now facing the ground. From here, Mai could see the boy getting out of the futon, his arms and legs moving in strange inhuman like fashion. He was chattering words that nobody could understand.

Then he fell face first onto the tatami mat and he laid there not moving. Mai took in a deep breath.

Her heart was pounding furiously.

"Oh god," she whispered.

The boy was moving, sliding across the tatami floor. He slid slowly, moving in a demented way. Then Mai screamed, the boy moved so fast that Mai didn't even see it happen. A man scream echoed from the video. The boy moved fast, crawling throughout the room...like a running spider.

Suddenly he appeared before the camera, his eyes seeing through the lenses, big wide…

"I will curse you," his voice came through, deep and raspy. The tape burst out from the VCR. Mai fell to the ground, Toshiro cowering above her. Naru took the tape from the ground before wincing, dropping it on the ground.

"It's hot," he said. Mai reached for the tape with trembling fingers. She yelped in pain as the tape burnt her fingers.

"T…that…last part…wasn't suppose to be in the video," Toshiro stuttered.

"Huh?" Mai asked, shocked.

"I will curse you…it wasn't suppose to be in there," he whispered, shivering badly.

"Lin," Naru muttered. The silent man nodded, he whistled. Mai noticed a white ball of light going through the tape. Lin then bends down to pick it up.

"My master wishes…for you to help him out with this case," Toshiro said, looking at the tape with dear in his eyes. Naru took the tape from Lin and placed it on the table.

"Kyoto isn't it?" he asked. Toshiro nodded. "We will pay for your plane ride, living accommodations everything…all we wish for is for you to get to the bottom of this."

Mai stared at the fearful Toshiro, she looked at the tape again and thought of the boy who has been possessed by such a malicious entity.

"Naru," she said, "Let's go."

The boy looked at her, before raising the tape. "When should we leave for Kyoto?" Naru asked the man. Toshiro smiled, "Oh thank you, thank you, you shall leave tomorrow."

"I have a condition though," Naru said.

"Anything for you," Toshiro said, highly grateful.

"Make it 7 air plane tickets," Naru said.

"**Aw man…just when I thought we were going to go on a holiday,"**

Bou-san complained. Mai chuckled, tossing the heavy camera towards the tall, brownish haired man who caught it. They loaded it into the delivery truck that would deliver Naru's high tech equipment to Kyoto. "Less talking more work," Naru's commanding voice came from behind.

"Aye, aye captain," Bou-san muttered.

"Well it ain't so bad, at least we get to sit on a plane," Mai said, smiling, "I'm excited."

"Oh, so you never sat on a plane before?" Bou-san asked Mai. Mai shook her head. "This would be my first time."

Bou-san looked at the girl and he ruffled her hair.

"Well, plane rides are definitely fun," he said. Mai smiled.

They loaded the last of the equipment into the truck and paid the driver. Mai stretched and went into the office. Inside, Masako and Naru were discussing money issues. Ayako was by the kitchen counter making tea. Lin was loading his laptop. Bou-san hobbling in after her.

Somehow, Mai felt like she was going on a family trip and her heart felt full.

"Kyoto," she said, "Here we come!"

**Yamagata Preserved monks are real, you can look them up in the internet. Frankly, it's a very interesting topic. So interesting in fact, that I went to do some research on my own. And…**

**What can I say…the whole thing is pretty screwed up.**

**Well, next chapter is coming up soon…don't read it at night, that's all I'm saying.**

**For those guys interested in looking at some real ghost videos, type this "****身の毛もよだつ心霊映像****BEST10****" or copy it into YouTube: D I assure you guys who love horror, YOU WILL LOVE THIS. **


	13. File 3 Black Monk 2

**Ok I swear, I'm never going to write this at night ever again. Especially with ghost hunt OST playing in the back ground…and my place being near a World War 2 war zone makes it no better. **

File 3#

Black Monks

Kanazawari

"I need to go to the toilet!" was Mai's first words when she stepped out of the black car. Before her were several majestic traditional Japanese houses, made out of pine wood. It was surrounded by a white wall that had traditional motifs painted on them. Mai jumped on the spot, carrying her bags.

"Who asked you not to pee in the plane?" Bou-san asked, amused. Mai glared at him, "Because Naru told me that if I flushed, my pee would exit the plane and land somewhere…and I don't want my pee to land on somebody's head!" she shouted.

Bou-san's lower jaw dropped, he turned to face Naru, who had a strange smirk on his face. Ayako and John burst out laughing, Masako snorted and Lin was unloading the equipment from the truck.

"That was a lie, Mai," Naru said.

"What!" she shouted.

The grand doors of the huge Japanese house opened and Bou-san whistled. Before them stood two rows of girls dressed in traditional purple Japanese kimono. "Whoa," he whispered.

"Welcome," the girls bowed, "To the Kanazawari household."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bou-san whispered.

"I absolutely agree with you," Ayako's voice sounded beside him.

"Please come in," a man said, he was wearing a black suit and Mai immediately recognize him. "Toshiro-san," she called out to him. The man smiled and beckoned them in.

Mai couldn't hold back anymore and turned to one of the young girls.

"Bathroom!" Mai told a servant urgently. A girl nodded and took Mai's hand leading her down a large white pebbled court yard. The court yard was huge and spacious, surrounding it were bamboo trees and in the middle of this large court yard was a koi pond. She was led through a secluded bamboo path and then into a small traditional Japanese building.

The doors were made of traditional Japanese paper screens. A curved red roof stayed on top of the pine wood house. "Here," the girl said, sliding the paper screen open and leading Mai through an elaborate tatami mat room and into a small toilet.

"Oh thank god!" Mai shouted, opened the door and slid in.

"**My master welcomes you to his humble abode," **Toshiro Ren led the ghost hunt team through a bamboo surrounded white pebbled path. "Come now, he wants to greet you all personally."

"When he heard the news of your arrival, master has been very happy." Toshiro said, walking out of the bamboo path.

Bou-san whistled. Before them stood a three storey ancient Japanese castle. Standing three storey's high, with pine wood supports, white washed walls and a stone base. It looked majestic with its blue curved roof that reflected the glow of the setting sun.

What made it more majestic was that it stood at the base of a large sacred mountain named Ishihara. Ishihara Mountain was a large green mountain. It had fog surrounding it, making it look even more mysterious than it already was.

"My Master awaits," Toshiro said, stepping into the caste. The team followed stepping into it. The large wooden ceiling above them was a dark red brown, the air inside was cold and somehow dark and forbidding. Bou-san shivered. He noticed Masako wincing. Naru took off his shoes and followed Toshiro.

Bou-san breathes out and found a white mist escaping his mouth.

"Cold," he whispered.

"Tell me about it…its summer for god sake," Ayako muttered.

"Come on," John told the both of them. Bou-san and Ayako took off her shoes and followed Toshiro. The floor underneath their feet was freezing cold and it sent shivers up Bou-san's feet.

"Masako?" he heard John utter. Bou-san turned and found Masako swaying at a spot. She was sweating profusely and was mumbling something under her breath. "I need…I need to get out of here," she whispered.

Naru appeared before her, placing his hand on her forehead.

"John," he the expressionless teen said, "Bring Masako out."

John nodded. Ayako frowned and Bou-san went over to Naru. "What's happening Naru…it's too cold here…" he whispered.

"Kazuya," Lin's voice came from the opposite end of the castle's corridor.

"I'm not sure, but that's why we're here, isn't it," Naru answered Bou-san, who scratched his head in frustration.

"Looks like another complicated case," Ayako said.

"What do you mean?" Bou-san asked. Ayako pointed to the trees that could be seen from the windows in this castle. The thick green leafy trees of Mount Ishihara rustled as a wind blew past. The evening sunlight making them glow a slight orange green.

"Their telling me to turn back," she whispered.

"Who?" Bou-san asked.

"The trees."

"**Finished,"** Mai whispered in relief as she flushed the toilet.

That stupid Naru, once she finds him, she was going to get his revenge. She slid open the door of the toilet only to fall back gasping. There was a boy peering at her. His eyes were completely black and his lips curled up in a malicious fashion.

"Onee-chan," he said, calling her. He bounced closer to her, peering at her, his head moving slowly like that of a robot.

Somehow Mai knew his name. "Utsume-kun?" she asked the boy who smiled real wide.

"You know my name?" he asked her.

"Y…yes," she said. The boy with his black short hair, his pale skin and his blue pajamas started to laugh. His white teeth barring.

"Utsume-kun?" she asked.

Mai heard a gasp beside her and she found the girl who had brought her to the toilet earlier, glancing at the boy wearily.

"Young Master, what are you doing here?' the girl asked.

Utsume's smile vanished and he was now silent. He was glaring at the girl, his black eyes widening. The girl pulled back, seeming to shiver.

"Outsiders have no business in what I do," he spoke. Mai was surprised. The tone of his voice had changed; his voice once high pitched had changed to that of a grown man.

"Who are you?" the girl suddenly shouted at Utsume, "Give the young master back to us!"

"Insolent girl, do you wish to die," Utsume rasped, walking towards the girl in huge steps. The girl's eyes widened and she started to scream. He lunges forward and grabs her neck and began to squeeze hard.

The girl's face contorted, she was choking, tears leaked from her eyes.

"Hey!" Mai shouted reaching forward and touching the boy's shoulder, pulling him back. Utsume let go of the girl's neck and turns to look at Mai. A smirk appeared on his face again.

"He he he," he chuckled, "He he he he he."

Mai let go of him and helps the girl up. There were purple marks on the girl's neck and Mai turned to the boy, her eyes filled with fury.

"What are you!" she shouted.

"Insolent fools;" he rasped, his voice sinister, "you are all going to die."

With that Utsume jumped backwards and begun running, crawling quickly on all fours, like a spider into the mess of bamboo trees and disappearing into the evening light.

"**People have begun to spread rumors about this place…my servants have trouble sleeping at night, and all of them are very scared."** The main Master of the Kanazawari household spoke. He was man in his 50's, with graying hair and a stern ripened wrinkled face and long beard. He looked like an ancient Emperor in the olden times.

Naru stared at the man name Yuuki Kanazawari. He was indeed a rich man, exuding an aura of pride and power; he sat in his chair, upright and tall. 

"We think that a terrible curse has befallen us," he said. Toshiro nodded beside him. Naru raised his eye brow.

"A curse?" he asked.

The latter nodded, "Since Kenta's death, strange things have been happening in my house. Utsume has been acting strangely…like his been possessed. My servants have reported many unexplainable cases since the last few weeks…and…I have been having dreams."

"Dreams?" Lin asked.

Yuuki Kanazawari raised his hand and Toshiro brought out a porcelain bowl that seemed to have blue Chinese ink engravings on it. "This is my family's heirloom," he said.

He placed the bowl on the table, and pointed to it. Naru looked at it, it had intricate flower motifs surrounding its exterior but deep in the center of the bowl was a motif of a samurai, a black samurai with a bird for its head.

"What is that?" Naru asked.

"My family's symbol…he is called the black crow. He is my family's death messenger…whenever someone is about to die in our family, he would appear before that person's eyes… and these past few days I have been dreaming about him."

"And you fear for your life?" Bou-san asked the man who shook his head.

"It's not my life that I fear…it's Utsume's…the black crow has appeared before me, warning me about Utsume…I fear that if I do not do something soon, my son would die."

Naru picked up the bowl and stared at it. "May I have a closer look at this?" he asked the man who nodded.

"And could I have a room for the main base…we would like to interview and investigate further."

Yuuki nodded. "Thank you," he said. Naru held the boy close to his eyes. The black crow, staring silently back at him.

"**Masako, are you sure your alright?" **John asked the girl who was sitting by a bench.

The servants had gotten them some tea and they were seated on a bench near the castle. The sun had set and it was no longer evening but night. It was dark and the soft glow of the lantern light's cast eerie shadows on the pebbled ground.

"Everything is distorted," she whispered, holding her hands to her eyes. "Everything is spinning…its everywhere, everywhere," Masako said.

"What do you mean by that?" John asked her.

Masako looked at him.

"I don't know…this place is horribly infested."

"Ghost?" he asked.

"I-"Masako was cut off, when the bamboo trees before started to rustle violently. John stood up, clutching the cross that hung around his neck. Masako was wincing, "Its coming."

John flinched when a black figure popped his head from between the bamboo trees. It paused and the bamboo tree ceases to rustle. The black figure seemed to be staring at them; its head was kind of a sharp oval shape.

Masako drew in a sharp breath as the figure made another move, this time its body slid out from the bamboo trees, taking a step closer towards John and Masako. Then it slid out fully, standing there. It was dark, real dark but John noticed that it seem to be wearing some traditional white costume. It turned and begun to walk down the pebbled path towards the castle's courtyard. It moved past John, barely touching him.

It moved swiftly, before vanishing into the courtyard. John gasped. "No-"

He was cut off again, when he saw another black figure exiting the bamboo trees. It did the same thing, before vanishing by the courtyard.

John drew in a sharp breath.

Then another and another and another, each time they vanished, they seem to rise into the air. A cycle was happening over and over again.

Then suddenly the cycle stopped. John tensed; the air around them was suddenly, very, very cold. Masako was clutching her head, her body tensed.

"Onee-chan, Onii-chan," a childish voice whispered behind them. John jumped and Masako shrieked. They turned and found a little boy looking up at them. He had a devilish smile on his face; John was surprised to see his eyes were all black.

"H…hello?" John said to the boy. The boy grinned at them.

"Welcome," he whispered.

"To hell."

**Don't read the next chapter at night: D, you would definitely pee in your pants…even if you try to hold it back like Mai XD. **


	14. File 3 Black Monk 3

**Eheheheheheheheehehe, I did a lot of research for this story…which would explain why chapter 2 of this file came so late :D. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**And oh, thanks for all your reviews, they help: D**

File 3#

Black Monks

The Long Marathon

"**This is not a dream," he whispered. Mai opened her eyes and found herself facing Naru. He had the usual smile on his face and Mai knew that she wasn't in the real world. **

"**Naru, where am I?" she asked. The boy held out his hand, helping her up and she gasp. She was in a large bamboo forest; it was so green that everywhere Mai turned, all she saw was green. A deep dark green, like a maze. **

**Beneath her, the ground was glowing a soft golden light. A light that seems to radiate and emit its own heat, pulsating gently, as if it were alive. **

"**The inner sanctuary," Naru whispered, taking her hand and leading her down the golden path. They passed through the greenery, the shades of green and the golden forest floor painting a trance like scenario.**

**They walked some more, deeper and deeper into the bamboo forest. There was no sound; there was no human…most of all, no balls of white lights; spirits.**

**The golden light continued to pulsate beneath her feet, Mai took in a deep breath, the sharp air so filled with oxygen, it stung the inside of her nose. It was cold, fresh and unlike anything she ever smelt before.**

**Then, the bamboo forest came to an end. The bright golden light engulfs them as they exited the forest; Mai winced before opening her eyes again. She shrieked, realizing she was standing on a very tall cliff. The bamboo forest behind them rustled. Naru in front of her was pointing at a sharp tall majestic ancient castle beneath the cliff.**

**The golden light from the ground, continued down the cliff, moving through the forest below it before entering the grounds of the Kanazawari's castle…finally stopping there. Mai gasped as the castle suddenly radiated its own golden light.**

"**Kanazawari's castle," Mai whispered. Naru nodded, pointing at the golden pulsating light beneath their feet.**

"**This is the stream of life," he whispered, "An ancient flow…a beautiful thing…however it is also a curse."**

"**Huh?" Mai asked.**

**Naru squeezes her hand, "They are walking Mai, they are beginning to move…the servants would flock to their master, the land would sink, the golden lights would take, hell awaits." He whispered a creepy rhyme.**

"**Naru, what does that mean?" Mai asked, irritation forming in her throat.**

"**Monks," Naru whispered.**

"Mai!"

A voice woke the red headed girl from her slumber; she jumped to her feet and looked around before groaning. She was in a room, filled up with beeping electronic devices and screens. Lin and Bou-san were beside her.

"You were suppose to be monitoring the screens, but here I find you taking a nap," Bou-san scolded Mai who frowned.

"Excuse me, I need to sleep, besides what's the point…we didn't catch anything for the whole entire night."

Bou-san hits her gently on the top of her head. "Well, that doesn't mean you can doze off," he said.

"I was not sleeping, I was collecting information…and when I do that, I need to sleep."

Bou-san snorted, "So what do you dream about this time?"

"The stream of life," Mai said. Lin peered up, his eyes widened when she had said that. "The stream of life?" the silent Chinese man asked her. Mai nodded, slightly frightened by Lin's sudden interest in the topic.

"Describe it," Lin commanded. Mai nodded and begun to speak.

"A golden stretch of light…it came from Mount Ishihara's peak…and it stopped at the castle we're in."

"This is bad," Mai heard Lin whisper, he pulled off his head phones and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Mai asked him.

"I'm going to tell Kazuya," he said and walked out of the room. Mai and Bou-san watches the silent man leave.

"Did I say something wrong?" Mai asked. Bou-san shrugged before gasping when he looked at the screens in front of him.

Mai turned too and found herself staring at a black mass forming at the entrance of the castle. The black mass was small, emerging slowly from the ground itself. The screen fizzed, Mai's eyes widened as the black mass begun to rise up from the ground, getting bigger.

"Samurai…" Bou-san whispered and gasped when he saw the figure's head, shaped like a bird, a black bird. The screen fizzed again, static sounds getting stronger. Mai pulled her head phones off, pulling the wires out of the socket, a low humming sound sounded around the room.

Finally, the figure ceases to move, it then took a step forward. Then it tilted its head upwards and Mai took in a sharp breath. Its eye was large, round, sharp and evil looking. It was looking at the camera, looking through the camera lenses, looking at them.

"The black crow," Bou-san whispered. Then it vanished, disappearing into a black mist.

"**A golden path of light, a death messenger, a series of walking shadow figures; man the lists goes on and on," **Ayako said. The ghost hunt team had gathered in their head quarters, a room in the castle, provided by Yuuki Kanazawari.

"Where exactly did you see this path of light, Mai?" Naru asked her suddenly and Mai pointed at Mount Ishihara that stood outside. It was late afternoon, and the blistering sun was shining bright, casting strong rays of sun shine into the thick green forest of Mount Ishihara.

"The path of life," Mai repeated, "That was what somebody told me…in my dream."

'What else did he tell you?" Naru asked Mai. Mai frowned, trying to remember the poem Naru had recited in her dream, but failed miserably, but then she remembered the other word.

"Monks!" she exclaimed.

Naru raised his eye brow as if he discovered something very important.

"Masako, Mai, you would come with me; Lin please observe Utsume Kanazawari and try to figure out if his really possessed or not, Ayako and Bou-san interview the servants, we need to know what exactly is going on here, John please investigate Kenta Kanazawari's murder case," Naru commanded. He snaps his fingers and the team obeyed.

"Please take care of yourself, Kazuya," Lin told the boy who nodded, waving him off.

While the others left to do their duties, Mai turned to Naru. Masako, who had been rather pale since the start of this case, sat in a chair, holding her kimono sleeve close to her eyes.

"What are we going to do, Naru?" Mai asked the boy, who simply took out a video camera from a box. "We're going to explore Mount Ishihara," he said.

"What! You mean hike!" Mai exclaimed. Naru ignored her and beckoned for the two girls to follow him.

"Aww man," Mai whined.

They exited the house main gates and were greeted by a long white pavement that seems to stretch out forever. The hot blazing sun shone onto them, making it unbearable. Naru turned left, towards the base entrance of Mount Ishihara. Crickets creaked loudly, the blue sky above her almost cloudless. Hot…too hot…and they're going to hike.

'Why are we going this, Naru?" Mai whined.

"Quit your complaining Mai," Masako snapped at the girl, still covering her eyes.

"Come on, Masako, don't tell me your not hot underneath that thick kimono you're wearing," Mai said, poking Masako, who slaps Mai's hand away.

"You don't sense anything?" Masako asked Mai suddenly.

Mai frowned, looking at Masako pale and weak physic.

"Why are you asking me this?" Mai asked the girl. Naru turned, looking at Masako as she spoke. "The mountain gives me powerful vibes…it's as if, something that isn't suppose to be there…is there…the whole place feels wrong, everything is distorted…it's making me dizzy." She said.

"I don't feel anything," Mai commented.

Masako sighed in annoyance, "Well, that's because your dumb."

"Why you-"

"A shrine," Naru's voice interrupted the two bickering girls. He was standing at the base of Mount Ishihara entrance. A large red shrine marker marked the entrance and there were stone steps that ascended into the mountain.

"A shrine in this sacred mountain?" Mai whispered.

Several trees were tied with white string paper; they rustled as a warm summer wind blew past. The air was sharp and Mai's senses seem to heighten immediately. The crickets' chirps seem to get louder, the feel of the summer wind against her skin, the hot blazing sun above her, the sweat emerging from the pores of her skin, the red shrine marker that stood before her and the steps that ascended upwards.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw figure moving through the trees. She blinked and turned, a wind blew past, the tree leaves rustled…there was nothing there, except thick forest.

Naru switches his camera on, Masako was sweating profusely and Mai had a feeling it wasn't because of the heat. Masako was scared, real scared.

They began to climb the steps, Naru in front of them, filming everything in sight.

"This shrine probably belongs to the Kanazawari," Naru said.

"How you know that?" Mai asked. Naru pointed at a large gray stone that stood at the side of the stairs. "Read it," he said. Mai blushed in embarrassment.

"Kanazawari," she muttered and Naru continued on.

The forest around them was booming with cricket chirps, it seemed to be leading them into a trap, a large maze in which they wouldn't be able to get out from. The higher they climbed; the tree leaves got greener and greener.

Also, Mai noticed some small pebbled stone arrange in a strange manner beside the stairs…as if they were little grave markers. She shivered at the thought and almost screamed, when Masako gripped her.

'What's the big i-"she stopped when she saw how pale Masako look. The girl was panting, her body shivering, her hands clawing her eyes.

"Naru!" Mai called out to the boy who turned. His eyes widened when he saw Masako's condition. He rushed towards the girls.

"What's wrong, Hara-san?" he asked the girl.

"We shouldn't go any further," she whispered, "The air is like poison…it will kill us slowly…it's too pure for us."

"What do you mean?" Mai whispered, she stopped and took in a sharp breath when she heard the trees rustling behind her.

Naru turned, still holding the camera, facing the trees.

Shadows passed through the trees, walking fast. Many of them, walking quickly silently, never stopping…as if running a marathon. There was a few cracking sounds and Mai gasped when she saw the pebbled stones that had been arrange in a strange manner, cracking open. Smoke rose from within it, rising into the air.

Then the figures in between the trees stopped. They looked human, their heads shaved, they wore a weird looking long hat, white garments and old straw sandals. Their eyes blank, as if in a trance. There were many of them, looking at Mai.

"We're running," she heard Naru whisper into her ear. Mai didn't need telling twice. Naru grabs her and Mai grabs Masako and then they were running down the steps, two at a time. She turned behind and shrieked when she saw the figures, with their human like heads and features emerging from the trees and chasing after them.

Faster and faster they ran, faster and faster the figures behind them ran. The air was sharp, too fresh. Mai could feel her chest starting to hurt. Naru lunges forward, tugging Mai's arm hard. She yelped, tripped and stumbled. Naru caught her as they passed the shrine's entrance.

Masako fell onto Mai, hitting her forward, causing Naru to lose his balance. They fell onto the ground, the video camera flying out of Naru's hands, spinning and then landing on the ground, its lens facing the entrance of the shrine.

Mai turned to look at the entrance and was shocked to see no one there. The figures had vanished into thin air.

Masako was clutching her head in pain. Naru got up quickly, and takes and video camera, he points it at the shine entrance and Mai heard him gasps.

Mai stumbles upright and approaches him. She looks into at the camera screen and she tensed.

There on the screen, filming the entrance of the shrine; standing on the steps, were the many faces of the human like figures, they had gathered, glaring silently at them…their eyes filled with vengeance.

"Monks," she heard Naru whisper.

The screen fizzed, and died. A wind blew past and a cold tremor went through Mai's spine.

**Clue for the day: Marathon Monks XD **

**Look forward to next chapter :D **


	15. File 3 Black Monk 4

**IM SORRY FOLKS FOR THE LONG WAIT AND I'M BACK. I was busy with exams and assignments (what a pain in the ***) AND NOW THAT I HAVE TIME, I SHALL GET BACK TO WRITING. **

**:D and time to dive deeper into the mystery hehehehehe**

File 3#

Black Monks

Curses

John Brown marches into the university just 5 kilometers away from Kanazawari's household. A huge university with modern looking white washed buildings and clean looking facilities. There was a large fountain that stood before him, a statue of a man dressed in Samurai armor stood in the middle of this large fountain.

"The university of Agricultural Science and Archeology," John muttered. "Shokubutsu University."

A strong gust of wind blew through the school, rustling the potted trees that stood beside the gray path that led to the main building. Behind the university stood Ishihara Mountain in full glory. Somehow, John wasn't too keen on hiking into the mountain at all.

He had read the police reports. A strange case the detective of the police station told John. Charms found in Kenta's mouth, a katana found a few feet away from his body…a katana without blood. The detective had then passed John the Katana and John winced when he saw it.

It was quite short for a sword. Smaller than any sword that he had ever seen, smaller than those European swords. It was probably the length of John's arm…however as small as it seems, it was slightly curved and John could see that it was very sharp.

"Imagine being cut by that," the detective had said.

"However there was no blood," John whispered to himself, clutching Kenta's case file close to his chest. Found behind the university, eight kilometers into Ishihara Mountain, Kenta's terrified stiffed body laid there.

John looked at the mountain that stood behind the university, it was late afternoon and the sun was quite hot. Crickets chirped and the green forest of Ishihara seems to shimmer. John wiped the sweat from his forehead, peering at the clear blue sky.

He marches into the main office, passing a few students and walked towards the counter. A woman in her 30's saw him and a fake, practiced smiled appeared on her lips. "Hello," she greeted him, "How may I help you?"

John too gave her a fake practiced smile, "My name is John Brown, I was sent by the head detective…I would like to meet with the people mentioned in this case file."

The woman's smile dropped and a frowned entered her lips.

"I thought the case was closed?" she said. John shook his head and passed the file to her. "Would it be alright to call these people out?"

"Well…of course," the woman replied, "One of them…would be me."

"Oh," John said slightly surprised. Why would a school clerk be involved in this case?

"Satomi Emiko," the woman introduced herself, she had long black hair tied up into a pony tail, when she stood up John realized that the woman was quite short.

"Would you like to talk to me first?" she asked.

John smiled and nodded, "If that's alright with you?"

The woman laughed, an empty one, "I had nothing better to do anyway."

Emiko signaled for John to sit by one of the red couches that were beside the office main entrance.

"Now what would you like to ask me?" Emiko asked John.

John peered into the file and found Emiko's name and statements.

"Satomi-san you said you are probably the last person to see Kanazawari-kun alive that night of his murder," John said, reading the statements, "You said that he was clearly distressed and that he seemed alarmed when you asked him if there was anything wrong."

Emiko nodded, she grimace as if remembering and reliving that night again.

"Did you see him carrying a Katana?" John asked.

Emiko shook her head, "He carried nothing when he came over to the main office that night…Kenta-kun…he…"

She shook her head again and smiled sadly. "I could have saved him but…"

"Kenta-kun?" John asked, raising his eye brow, "Are you close to Kanazawari-kun, Satomi-san?"

Emiko tensed and then she smirked, "Eh yes…we're friends…lovers you see," she said. John blushed slightly when he heard that.

"Kenta-kun was always confident, he was one of the top students in this school and very popular you see, also he is a rich man's son. Many girls liked him; I guess you can count me in," Emiko sighed, "Then he turned 21 years old…his character changed, he became paranoid about something. His grades started to drop, he begun making frequent trips out of the university…and more trips to the school's library."

"A sudden change in character," John said, reading her statements in the file.

"He was a mess," Emiko admitted, "When we…had…" she coughed, 'Sex," she whispered, "He was always distracted."

John blushed, "Distracted?"

"He would always be staring at the corner of the room…at some dark corner…whispering words I do not understand, then he would hug me and he would cry."

John frowned; he looked at the statements Emiko made in the case file. "Why didn't you tell this to the police?" he asked. Emiko smirked, "Because Brown-san…the police don't believe in the supernatural don't they?"

"You're not the police aren't you?" Emiko said.

"And how do you know that?"

"Rina Satomi-san, my sister, she's the same age as Kenta-kun and she's working as a maid in the Kanazawari house hold."

"Oh," John said, "May I speak with her too?"

Emiko nodded.

"Supernatural?" John said, turning back to the topic. Emiko nodded, the smirk disappearing of her face. "Strange things happen every time after Kenta-kun's visits," she said, "Every time he left, I could feel another presence in the room with me. It was unsettling, it seemed to be watching my every move…then one day, I happened to be sitting in the living room watching television when I felt something touching my neck."

"I was terrified," Emiko said, her face turning a little pale, "Because after it touched me; I felt it squeezing my neck hard. I struggled and soon I stumbled into the bathroom. When I looked in the mirror…"

Emiko gulped, John's grip on the case file got tighter.

"There was a woman staring at me…smiling."

"I screamed and she was gone," Emiko said, "Though there were bruises on my skin."

Emiko pulled down her collar and John gasped, there on Emiko's neck were indeed long, purple bruises that looked like fingers.

"The bruises are fading away alright…but ever since that incident I've been afraid to step into my house."

"Where do you live now, Satomi-san?"

"With my parents, a few kilometers away from the university," she answered. John took noticed of that and then slapped the case file closed. "May I…take a look at your apartment, Satomi-san?"

Emiko gaped, 'Why?" she asked.

"Because there is a high possibility that Kenta-kun left something there."

"**Kanazawari-kun,"**

Lin called after the boy. Kazuya had asked him to observe the boy and Lin had no plans to let the boy out of his sight. The boy moved in an erratic fashion, Lin noted. In all his experiences with the supernatural, Lin had never seen such erratic movements before. Movements like a spider crawling up, down and sideways in a slow manner.

Like a sloth, like a spider, like a bird…Utsume was more of multiple animals than that of a human. The boy turned and Lin glared at the boy's blank eyes. Blank eyes that seem to tunnel into Lin's very soul. The boy was most definitely possessed. Lin knew that, the scent the boy gave out was powerful. A strong menace was infesting the boy…and if Lin was not wrong…the menace was eating Utsume's very soul.

It might be too late.

"A demon would be born," Lin thought to himself as he followed the boy. Suddenly, Utsume picked up speed, moving faster through the wooden corridors of his household. The boy slides a Japanese paper screen door open and entered the room behind. Lin followed him silently and entered the room. Utsume appeared before him and Lin felt his heart beat quickened.

It was unusual for Lin to feel scared about something like this…but right now, something was different. His Shiki was telling him to step back. The air was filled with the aura of something that does not belong.

"The stream of life," Mai's voice echoed in Lin's head and his eyes widened.

"Haha ha ah aha aha haha ha aha aha!" Utsume cackled, twisting his head in awkward positions. He then slid open another paper screen and ran into the bamboo covered courtyard. Lin cursed and followed the boy.

The boy led him past the courtyard and into the servant quarters. The aura was thickening and his Shiki's were giving out warning bells. Sharp ringing sounds that spell danger. Lin hated to admit it but right now, he was absolutely terrified.

He struggled to maintain composure, his expressionless face never once breaking out in panic. He passed a few servants who bowed lightly and Lin bowed too. The servants though were terrified of Utsume and steered clear of the boy who moved through the quarters in an uncanny fast speed.

"This is its territory," Lin whispered. Like an animal, prowling, Utsume was comfortable to be here.

"It would win here," Lin thought. The problem was…

What was this it?

Lin turned a sharp corner and found himself staring at a dark hole. The basement.

He whistled and his Shiki entered the hole. There was a burst of rings and the white balls of light burst out of the basement. Lin felt his spine tingle when he heard a growling sound coming from below. There were loud knocks and scratching sounds, a snarl.

Lin proceeded into the dark basement, feeling his leathered shoes hitting solid wood; his foots steps echoing throughout the dark basement. Lin searches for the light once he reached the bottom of the basement. His hands found the switched and he flicked it up. A dim, orange colored naked light bulb lit up, lighting up a small part of the basement.

Lin cursed.

This puts him at a disadvantage.

Lin entered the light and clapped his hands together, whistling. His Shiki gathered, forming a large ball of bright white light.

"You are hunting a demon," he remembered Naru's words to him 3 years ago, the feeling he had then…was somewhat the same as he had then. Though this time…it was much worst.

"Ke keke keke keke keke," Utsume's voice echoed throughout the basement. The darkness seems to grow heavy and a strange rotting smell filled the basement up.

A dark figure moved slowly, circling Lin, like a shark.

"Who are you?" Lin asked firmly.

"One must not give name," Utsume's voice, ten times deeper and raspier than before answered Lin. "Name can be used against servant."

"Like a farmiliar," Lin said. He whistled and one of his Shiki's shot out like a bullet into the dark shape. The black shape disintegrated and reappeared again, chuckling.

"Master will come, Master will come, Master will come,"

Lin turned and gasped when Utsume appeared before him, a wide smile on his face. His eyes completely black, it was as if he had no more whites in his eye. His pupils had expanded.

"What am I, I am god," he whispered. Utsume touched Lin's forehead.

"Liar," Lin whispered, slapping his hands together, the Shiki around him exploded, like bullets flying about. Lin slammed a charm into the boy and was surprised to see the charm burn away. Utsume moved forward, about to hit Lin when Lin slapped his hands together, the Shiki went through Utsume and Utsume smirked. Lin made use of the distraction, running up the basement and slamming it shut.

He took a Shiki and slammed the Shiki onto the basement doors. There was a loud bang as Utsume attempted to open the basement doors.

"This will not work!" Utsume rasped, "Master will come!"

Lin sighed, panting slightly; he reached out to wipe the sweat off his forehead. As he pulled his hand away his eyes widened when he found blood on his hands.

"Master will come!"

"**Any other experiences you would like to tell us?" **

Ayako asked the female servants who nodded. A girl named Haru Yukari raised her hand and stepped forward.

"Just the other day, the rabbits late young master Kenta was raising in the shed disappeared…there were blood stains…"

Ayako winced.

"Three guard dogs were found dead at the guard house three days ago," another servant spoke up. The mummers got louder and Ayako had to calm the girls down.

"Not to worry, we would get to the bottom of this," she told the girls.

Haru spoke again, "Is it true that a curse has befallen on the family?" she asked. Ayako raised her eye brows.

'A curse?" she asked.

The servants turned to look at each other.

Three hours later, Bou-san and Ayako sat by a bench, drinking tea. They were tired, however they were satisfied with the information they got. "The lists go on and on," Ayako said.

"Whispers from the courtyard, missing animals, the sudden menace in the servant quarters, blood writing appearing in the toilet every midnight and most of all…a golden path that shows up on the main castle like building every midnight."

"And black figures…and a curse." Bou-san said.

"A curse," Ayako said.

Both turned to look at each other.

"Naru," they said.

"**Here it is,"**

Emiko said, unlocking the door of her three room apartment. She glanced nervously into the room and flicked the lights on. John entered it and was suddenly gripped by a bout of anxiety. He turned and found that Emiko was biting her lower lip.

She felt it too.

There was indeed a presence in this room.

A growing presence that seem to leave a horrible feeling in the pit of John's stomach. "It's still here," Emiko said.

John nodded, holding up the case file and setting it by the table. They passed the living room and jumped when the television switches on suddenly. The loud voice of the newscaster sounded throughout the room. Emiko drew in a sharp breath and John felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

They then walked into Emiko's bed room and John gripped his chest. There was an ominous feeling to this room. He turned and found Emiko frozen stiff; she was staring at something at the corner of the room. John turned and was found that there was nothing there.

However Emiko was absolutely terrified.

"Satomi…Satomi-san," John called out to the woman and shook her. The woman shook her head and gave John a weak smile.

"Do you notice anything odd about this room?"

Emiko was clearly distracted, but she tried her best to concentrate. She looked around and looks at her bed.

"My bed," she said, "It shift slightly."

John turned to look at the bed and he squats down looking under it. He frowned and found himself looking at a red box. A box so small that it was insignificant. He reached out and took it, standing up. This time Emiko shrieked, she grabs hold of John and pulled him into the living room, and out of the apartment. She shut the door and looked at the confused John.

"I left my case file inside," he told her, passing her the red box.

"Don't go in," Emiko whispered close to tears. "His…his there-"

'Don't worry," John told her. He pushed her away gently and opened the door. He cried out, falling backwards. There before him stood a young boy, a boy he recognized.

"Kenta-kun?" he whispered.

The boy looked at him, his mouth opened,

"Please…help…me…"

The boy vanished and Emiko sung to her knees. The red box that John had once retrieved lay open in her lap, falling to the ground. Within it was something John recognized very well.

"A voodoo doll," he whispered.

"A curse," Eriko whispered, shivering, "I knew it…" she said, her voice breaking out into sobs, "He was researching on curses."

**I'll be updating every Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday. Next chapter, don't read it at night, HA HA HA**

**Thanks for all your reviews folks, it really helps. **


	16. File 3 Black Monk 5

The author would like to apologize for the long break in writing. She has lots of assignment and found herself stuck in between the threshold of what you call…homework hell :D

Anyway, I'm sorry folks for the long break, I'll update it soon, in two days, I promise, I'll eat a thousand needles if I don't :D…now that would be scary.

Anyway this is chapter 5 of the black monks…I scared myself writing this with Ghost Hunt OST on. You think I would have learn by then that writing this at night is not a good idea.

File 3#

Black Monks

Dreams and Basements

"**Mai! Mai!" a voice called out to her. Mai shifted and turned, opening her eyes and gasped. Below her was a bright golden stream of light and around her were huge floating white cloths that spread out in the wind.**

"**Mai!" the voice called out again.**

"**Who is it?" Mai thought to herself.**

**The cloths flew around her, enveloping her, covering her view of the golden light. **

"**Where am I?" she whispered.**

"**A place of eternity," a voice whispered into her ear. A white cloth brushed past her, kissing her softly on the ears. **

"**We are one," it whispered.**

"**Who are you?" Mai whispered.**

**There was a weird chuckle. **

"**I am…"**

"**MAI!"**

**The white cloths disappeared, the golden glow disappeared and Mai blinked. In front of her was Naru and he had a grim look on his face.**

"**Do not talk to it Mai, do not get lured in by forces that are not meant to exist."**

"**Wha-"**

"**The unholy ones speak," Naru whispered. The black scene before her disappeared and what Mai saw was a shrine. **

"_**The unholy one speaks…"**_

"**Our family has never entered the shrine,"** Utsume's father spoke. Naru frowned as he looked at the old man.

"Then…would you explain this," Naru whispered, pushing the video camera towards the old man. He replayed the scene and there it was, the faces of monks staring back at him. The old master gave a sharp gasp and he slammed the video camera shut.

"Wha-what are those!" he exclaimed. Naru took the camera back and shrugs.

"We're here to find that out-"

"The unholy one speaks," Mai whispered, interrupting Naru. Naru turned and found the girl sleep talking. His eyes brows twitched. Masako gave the girl a nudge and the girl jumped up, startling the old master and a few of his servants.

"What on earth are you saying, woman," Masako muttered. Mai looked up, and she blushed, bowing to the old master and apologizing.

"The unholy one?" Naru asked, that phrase alone intrigued him. Something about it sounded familiar. The red head nodded, before shaking her head. A look of confusion passed her face and she shook her head again.

"It was nothing…I think…"

"Well whatever is it, I just want this house to be cleansed immediately!" the old master commanded. Irritation crawled up Naru's nerve and he glared at the old master. "Is there anything you're not telling us?" he snapped.

The old man paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"Wonderful," Naru muttered.

"**An exorcism?" **the servant whispered.

"Yes," Bou-san said and he smiled. "It'll be done in a jiffy…and then you can sleep well tonight."

"You sure?" the servant asked, looking at Bou-san and Bou-san laugh nervously. "Well…probably."

He looked into the dark, dim room in front of him. Ayako was in front of him, she had a mirror in her hands and a candle lighted. The golden flame of the candle flickered as Ayako blew it. The candle went off and a thin trail of smoke was left behind. Ayako raised her mirror, a bell rung and she begun to chant.

The air got lighter, cleaner. The servant grabs onto Bou-san sleeves, apparently feeling the energy too.

Ayako swung her mirror forward towards the candle, the smoke trail disappeared with the sudden gust of wind. There was a deep silence. Bou-san felt sweat trickle down his forehead. The servant was feeling it too…the deep calming energy was now gone, replaced with one of fear.

The room seem to have gotten darker. "Bou-san…" Ayako whispered. Bou-san gulped and clasped his hands together. He began to utter his chants.

Suddenly screams erupted from within the room itself. Screams of terror and sorrow, the room started to shake and the floors bumped up and down. Footsteps raced across the room, the ceiling rattled. The servant cried out.

Bou-san started to chant louder. Ayako lighted another candle.

There was a loud thud, the sound of animals growling, people screaming. The doors rattled. Something warm trickled down from the ceiling. The newly lighted candle fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Bou-san!" Ayako shouted in alarm. Bou-san looked up and to his horror found himself looking at a naked black eye. Nearly inches away from his face were that of the Black Crow. It was looking at him, its pupils dilating. Bou-san couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak. The black crow seemed to smile.

The servant screamed. The black crow disappeared and something warm fell from the ceiling. Bou-san fell to the ground, panting.

The servant screamed again and Bou-san felt something trickling down his face, he reached out to touch it.

"Blood…" he heard Ayako whisper.

There, staining his fingers was deep…red blood.

"**A curse, Kenta-kun was researching about curses," **John told Naru.

Mai watched as the boy looked over the case files that John had gathered and the newly brought evidence.

"Satomi Emiko was Kenta-kun's girlfriend; apparently Kenta-kun left a voodoo doll in her apartment," John elaborated.

"Now why would a healthy 21 year old boy research about curses?"

"Maybe this is the answer," Mai exclaimed butting in, "Maybe Kenta-kun unleash and unimaginably strong-"

"That has nothing to do with the phantom monks chasing us from the shrine…or the golden stream of light," Naru said, interrupting her train of thoughts. Mai pouted. That self-egoistic…bastard.

She turned and found Lin sitting quietly in a corner, his hand was bandaged. "Lin, what happened?" Mai exclaimed. The Chinese man looked at her and he shook his head. "It is nothing to worry about," he said.

"Were my suspicions right Lin?" Naru asked suddenly. The Chinese man hesitated for a moment, there was faint glint of fear in his eyes. Mai felt a chill run down her spine.

"Utsume-kun…no…that is not Utsume…"

"It is a demon," Lin whispered.

"_**No…no don't come near me!" Kenta thought to himself as he ran through the woods. All around him, there were eyes chasing him. Red flashing eyes running after him. He moved fast, using his long athletic legs to move through the forest bush. Tears were leaking from his eyes.**_

_**The air…it was too…**_

"_**Don't! Don't!" Kenta screamed. He tripped and he was sent tumbling to the ground. They were running, they were running towards him. Skulls…**_

"_**Don't! Don't!" Kenta scream. "I don't want to-!"**_

_**They stopped, above him, they looked at him…**_

_**Human skulls…**_

"**This was not the rest I was looking forward too," **Masako whispered. The girl rubbed her head and slumped back into the futon of the guest quarters. After the trip to the shrine, Masako had been having a bad headache. She winced as she remembered the scene of the shrine and she shivered.

This house…this place, everything felt wrong about it.

"Just what was missing," she whispered.

"Hee hee hee," a voice whispered.

Masako's eyes widened and she sat up. Her room was dark and she cursed. She should have switched on the light.

"Hee hee hee," the voice whispered again. The dark room shifted in front of Masako and Masako gripped onto her sheets tighter.

Gathering all the courage she had she uttered a few words.

"Who are you?" she shouted, "What do you want!"

There was a deep silence, the clock beside her bed ticked, the sound of each tick getting louder.

"Come out!" Masako shouted.

There was a gust of wind, silence…

_Pat…pat_

_Pat…pat_

And all at once the sounds of a million footsteps rushing towards her. The wood creaked, Masako screamed.

Something rammed into her and she fell into the bed.

"**I am hell." A voice whispered.**

And the weight was gone and Masako gasped, pulling the blankets off herself and stumbling to her feet.

"Wha-what-"

The light turned on with a flick, Masako flinched, sighing in relief. Somebody had turned it on. "About time!" she snapped.

She turned and her body froze. A smirk…

An eye…

Solid black mass…

It was beside her…the black crow…

"**Mai,"**

Mai opened her eyes and she found herself standing on a green field. A wind blew passed and the tall grass rustled. A full moon hung from the night sky, beaming silver light onto the ground. Smoke…Mai smelt smoke…the smell of burning wood.

A wind blew pass and there in the middle of the field were two men. Dressed in kimono, the men each had their hair tied up in an elegant bun. They carried katanas, holding it in a precise position. Mai winced as the men moved towards each other.

The men dressed in a red kimono moved first, slashing his katana forward. He met air…

A katana slashed his throat, slitting him through, blood burst out from within his body. Mai winced and cried out in horror. A man dressed in white Kimono wiped the blood of his face and stuck the Katana into the dying man's body.

"I win," he whispered.

"…"

The dying men uttered words that Mai couldn't hear.

"I'll kill you," Mai whispered.

Words she couldn't hear…she knew.


	17. File 3 Black Monk 6

So my dear readers…I'M SO SORRY, DON'T KILL ME. I haven't updated for a year…I guess, but well yeah, it's my fault. But now, I'm back and I'll write and you know I update fast :D once I start. So here's chapter 6 :D thanks for the reviews and I won't keep you waiting.

File 3#

Black Monks

Media Vita in Morte Sumus

_**There were fires, raging fires burning up the tatami mats of the summer house. The smell of wood and burning flesh mixed together forming a thick pungent fog. It made the man gag and he puked onto the ground. The fear making his stomach churn, his head hurts and tears ran down his eyes as he grabbed his sword.**_

"_**I will not die here!" he cried out. **_

_**And the man ran. The screams and shouts muddling his confused head. He ran, stumbling through the fires and blood. Bodies slammed into the ground as the sounds of swords clashing and man shouting. A woman scream echoed through the air and the man cried out in despair.**_

"_**Kanazawari!" he screamed and he turned slashing a man who came running to his side, blood gushed from the man he had slashed, staining his kimono a deep red. His rage making his eyes glint in the fires. The man held up his katana and a mad smirk appeared on his face.**_

_**And with a roar he raced towards the mountains…the sacred mountains of Ishihara.**_

"Mai! Mai!" a voice screamed her name and she gasped. Yasuhara-san's worried face appeared before hers and she leaned back into a wall in horror. She looked around and found herself in the ghost hunt equipment room. The machines were beeping and the screen monitors were running, showing the activities happening in various rooms.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Yasuhara-san said holding up a handkerchief in his hand. Mai touched her face and realized she was sweating hard. She took the handkerchief whispering thanks to the boy and he smiled.

"Well, this place is filled with ghost," he said in a joking manner and Mai felt chills go up her spine. She wiped her forehead and placed a thumb in her mouth, chewing it.

"Did you see something again?" Yasuhara asked, he was concerned and Mai saw that his lips were set in a tight frown.

"No…just…Yasuhara-san…did this place…ever…never mind," Mai whispered and she shook her head.

"No, no, don't never mind me, what is it that you want to ask? Naru and Lin are talking with the Kanazawari's head, Masako is in her room, Ayako, Bou-san and John are trying to exorcise the spirits, so that leaves me with nothing to do. So please tell me what you dreamt about."

"But-"

"It's not a request, I'm begging you, I'm dying of boredom here." He said and Mai frowned.

"Well, I was wondering if there were any wars here…you know like some sort of Samurai feud or something."

Mai watches as the boy's lower jaw dropped and she gasped as the boy took her by her shoulders and begun shaking her.

"You…You genius!" he shouted and he set Mai down before picking up his bag.

"Where are you going?" Mai shouted as the boy left the room.

"To the library!" he shouted and left.

"What was that all about," Mai snapped and she clasped her aching head. She was about to stand up when the doors to the room opened silently. Mai gulped ready to run when Masako strolled in.

"Oh it's just you," Mai breathed a sigh of relief and she stood up heading for the girl when Masako stopped and looked up.

"Are you feeling better? Naru said you would be resting in bed," Mai said and she watched as Masako glanced at her. There was something off about the girl dressed in the kimono. The way the girl just stood there and the way the girl seemed to be swaying gently in the spot.

A sudden beep made Mai jump and she turned to find the EMF reader blinking a bright green light. She picked it up, puzzled by the device.

"Ghost emit electrical energy, when they try to manifest themselves," Naru had told Mai while showing her the device. Mai looked at the device and her eyes widened in shock. The EMF readings were way above the normal readings. Mai turned and found Masako beside her. The girl was swaying more rapidly. Her gentle sways were turning violent.

Mai's heart beat faster and she found it harder to breathe.

Something was wrong…something was wrong with Masako.

"Masako," she whispered the girl's name and the girl paused and a smile entered the girl's lips.

"Yes," she answered.

Mai clenched her fists in fear, for what came out of the girl's mouth wasn't a voice of a young teenage girl but that of a grown man.

"Who are you?" Mai demanded, keeping her voice calm. The room got two notches colder and the EMF reader in Mai's hands beeped louder almost uncontrollable.

"Who am I?" the voice answered, it was low, raspy, dangerous.

"How can you forget me…How can you forget your ancestor," it whispered.

"Who are you?" Mai whispered.

"He he he," Masako cackled and Mai stepped back ready to make a run for it.

"We are here, we are everywhere, you cannot stop it…you cannot!"

Mai screamed as Masako lunges at her. She turned and slapped the EMF reader into Masako's head. There was a loud thud and an inhumane scream. Mai fell to the ground as the EMF reader burst into flames.

Something hard gripped Mai's throat and Mai gasped, kicking air as Masako lifted her up. The strength the girl suddenly had was not of this world and Mai felt terror running through her veins.

"No, no I can't die!" she shouted.

Masako squeezed harder and Mai gasped as she saw a bloody man grinning in front of her. Masako was no more, instead a man with a bloody armour was holding her up. He was black, his face covered in dried up blood looking like feathers…feathers of a dead…

"Crow…" Mai whispered, clenching her teeth and she rasped for air, pain gripped her, she couldn't breathe.

'The black crow…" she forced the words out and suddenly she could breathe again. She fell to the ground clasping her throat, rasping, gulping down air.

"Where…where am I?" Masako whispered, before turning to Mai. "What did you hit me with!" she yelled.

"You tried to kill me you possessed freak!" Mai screamed back and Masako places a hand over her nose.

"No…" she whispered, her eyes widening in fear.

"Masako?" Mai asked.

"Utsume's escaped!" Lin's voice sounded behind him. Mai and Masako turned, finding the Chinese man covered in blood, a gaping gash running down his cheeks.

"What happened?" Mai asked in alarm.

"Utsume…he…he escaped!" Lin shouted and to Mai's shock, the giant Chinese man fell to the ground.

"Lin-san!"

"**Oh my god," Ayako whispered**. She fell to her knees as she watches Bou-san approaching the bloodied entrance. A screamed echoed behind them. The lone light bulb that lit the basement Utsume was in was swinging silently illuminating the bloody mess.

Three bodies were stacked up neatly on a wall. They were curled and shaped into stones. The bodies of the servants each killed…

"But how…" Bou-san whispered. "How did they die…it's impossible…"

"Bou-san!" Ayako screamed a warning and the man jumped back. Something had appeared from the walls of the basement. It was running fast through the walls. Bou-san gasped as another figure ran through the walls. It was white and it moved fast. It moved with grace and yet it was menacing.

And then it happened, another and another and another. Bou-san pushed Ayako back and watches as the white figures slowed, their face were without emotions yet their eyes told something else. They were filled with anger and as they turned to glare at Bou-san he gulped, tensing up.

"Monks…" he whispered.

Their human facial features peeling back, white bone skulls appeared before them. Bou-san screamed a warning and Ayako shrieked. The horde of monks was running towards them.

"Out! Out!" Bou-san screamed and he grabs Ayako pushing the woman out of the basement, they slammed the lid shut and heard the loud thumps then there was silent.

"What are those! What exactly are those!" Ayako screamed and Bou-san wiped his sweaty forehead in shock.

"Marathon monks…bloody marathon monks!"

"**You had better tell me what's going on or that's it!" **Naru slammed the head of the Kanazawari family into the wall. The middle age man flinched. His white beard and wrinkled brow twisting in pain.

"My servant is hurt…my workers possessed by beings…and a demon…your son possessed by a demon!" Naru snapped. The head frowned and he pushes Naru away.

Naru fixed his collar and glared at the man. "I know of the shrine," he said and the man tensed. "The shrine you're family has…it's up on the mountain…"

"I…" the head whispered.

"Utsume is up there…possessed by the demon, you're only son," Naru whispered and the man fell into his seat.

"I can't…it's..too…"

Naru sighed.

"**My oh my," **Yasuhara-san whispered as he looked at the old documents placed in front of him.

"A war…more like a massacre," Yasuhara whispered and he packed the documents into his bag.

"This is more of a mess than I thought it would-"

Yasuhara-san paused and his eyes widened in horror. He took hold of the book that he had just spotted and his blood ran cold.

"No…no…we can't be…"

"We can't be dealing with a god."

_**So, let's move on to the concluding chapters shall we :D**_


	18. File 3 Black Monks 7

Ah~ everything just came together. So nicely. I love it. :D well enjoy the chapter ;) I'll update soon in the speed of light :D

File 3#

Black Monks

Kami-Sama

"**No, I cannot die," the young man called out clutching his injured leg in anguish. Night was falling and there was still a long stretch of road before him. He was stuck in the middle of the forest. The designated path that he was supposed to complete seemed daunting now and tears ran down the man's face.**

"**No, I cannot die…"**

**The years of training, the years of running…the years of praying…he had to complete this. This was his duty. To die meant failure. The monk tried to move but cried out in pain. Something solid hit the forest ground and the monk cried out. It was a small silver knife. The knife he had always carried at his side. The knife that he had vowed never to use.**

**It was a sign…a sign from god…god himself. And suddenly the monk was filled with hate. Has the world abandoned him, has his effort been for naught. **

**The monk reached for the knife that was on the ground. A slow smirk spreads across his face.**

**It was a painful kind of smirk, a hopeless expression. He lifts the knife and with a final roar buries the knife into his throat. Blood burst from the wound staining his white ceremonial clothing. His straw hat fell to the ground. **

"**Curse…this…world…" he whispered, his anguish echoing through the forest and he fell. Somewhere in the forest a crow cawed.**

"Marathon monks Naru!" Bou-san shouted as he burst into base. He stumbled and landed heavily on the table carrying Naru's equipment. John Brown screamed a warning and Naru dove to catch a video camera that had fallen from its place.

It was the first time Mai had seen Naru so frantic and despite the dire situation they were in she couldn't help but burst out laughing. Naru was twitching on the ground, his fingers wrapped around the camera, tightly.

"Oh I'm sorry," Bou-san said and he too burst out laughing.

"You think this is funny," Naru mutterred. His voice was sore filled with restrained annoyance. He stood up and dusted his black coat. "If any one of these break it'll be worth your entire fortune," Naru said.

"Liar," Mai whispered in horror and Naru placed the camera back onto the shelf.

"So what about Marathon monks?" John asked and Naru perked up.

"We saw them…both Ayako and I, when Lin collapsed we went to check the basement out…and there were bodies…of 3 dead servants." Bou-san explained. Chills went down Mai's spine and she glanced at the silent Chinese man who was sitting on a chair. There was a bandage wrapped around his injured forehead and arm.

"Utsume-kun," Lin whispered his voice soft yet for some reason vulnerable, "He escaped while I tried to exorcise him."

The Chinese man glanced at Naru whom frowned. "Then this is serious," Naru said and he looked to Masako whom was cowering by the window shivering.

"Are you ok Masako?" he asked and the girl shook her head.

"There is blood around the house…staining the walls and the floor…everywhere I turned…spirits are screaming."

Mai shivered when she remembered the black crow that had tried to kill her.

"Elaborate," Naru said to Bou-san whom nodded.

"The 3 servants were dead, they had no visible wounds…nor where there any signs to suggest that they have been murdered…however they all were piled on top of one another, each showing signs that they were in pain."

"I did a ritual," Ayako interrupted Bou-san. "A Shinto ritual to confirm the cause of their deaths."

"And then I did mine," Bou-san whispered and he clenched his hands. "And before we knew it there were hordes of them running through the basement. They were running just like Marathon monks, each dawning their signature white robes and straw hats…however…their faces…became skulls."

"They were running?" Naru asked and Mai noticed his eyes glinting. He had figured something out and he turned to Lin.

"Where exactly do you think Utsume-kun ran off to?"

The man frowned and he winced when he lifted his hands. He pointed towards Ishihara Mountain.

"I was reciting a chant, whispering an ancient spell when Utsume appeared behind me and injured me…that was not the strength of a little boy," Lin said. Mai noticed that the man was embarrassed and although his face still had the stoic expression Mai could sense that the man was upset.

"He told me something about a master," Lin said.

Mai thought of the dreams she had. The war and the fight between the two samurai. Then she thought about the monks that had chased Naru, Masako and her down the steps of the Kanazawari's private temple.

She frowned.

"What are marathon monks?" she asked.

There was silence around the room and then a collective sigh.

"What?" Mai exclaimed.

"Are you Japanese?" Masako sneered and Mai felt her temper rising.

"Of course I am!" Mai snapped.

"Then you must really be an idiot," Naru said, he was looking down at her and Mai pointed at John in desperation.

"Even John doesn't know what is-"

"Actually I know," John Brown said, he was smiling nervously and Mai bowed her head in shame.

"You really need to pay attention in school Mai," Bou-san said and Ayako shook her head. Mai gulped and turned to Naru who placed a hand on the table.

"For the benefit of Mai I will explain what a marathon monk is," he said, his usual narcissistic tone stabbing Mai's brain.

"Marathon monks also known as Kaihogyo are monks that run for the sake of serving Buddha. The monks go through a form of physical endurance that is both life threatening and admirable. For 7 years, the monks would have to run through a course of 30 to 40km per day in the wilderness. For the first 100 days the monks are allowed to quit if they feel that they cannot make it through the 7 years, however from the 101 day onwards quitting means death. The monks often carry a knife by their side to kill themselves if they are injured or unfit to continue their course. Only 46 men have completed this gruelling task since the year 1585," Naru whispered.

"Those that did not complete kill themselves. If you walk up certain Mountains in Japan you might find countless grave markers marking the places where the monks have killed themselves. These places are cleanse…and made free from…"

Naru trailed off and his eyes widened.

"Naru?" Mai asked.

"Master…" Naru whispered and then he turned to Lin, "Utsume-kun did say something about a master didn't he," he snapped.

The older man nodded and then gasped.

"What? What have you realised!" Ayako said.

"A god!" Yasuhara-san's voice burst through the base and everybody turned, stunned by the young man's sudden intrusion. The bespectacled boy was holding up a file containing that withheld a series of thick papers.

He was flapping the file around as he entered the room and he set it down on the table holding Naru's expensive equipment. Again the camera toppled and John Brown gave a cry. Bou-san dove to catch it and the room let out a collective sigh.

"What in heaven's name Yasuhara!" Bou-san scolded and the boy smiled.

"It was all thanks to Mai! She told me about her dreams…about the war that took place in this place," Yasuhara-san exclaimed, hardly able to contain his excitement.

"A war?" Naru whispered and he turned to Mai whom turned away.

"Why didn't I hear of this?" he asked.

Mai whistled as Naru continued to glare at her. "Why was I not told about this!" he snapped, this time shocking the others. Mai cowered under his gaze and she answered him nervously. "I…I thought it wasn't of any importance," she mutterred.

"And you told Yasuhara-san instead of me," Naru snapped and then he turned away.

"Oh ho ho ho," Bou-san spoke next.

"What? It wasn't of any importance," Mai said and frowned.

"A war you say?" Masako asked Yasuhara-san and he nodded.

"A family feud you would say…see back then before the Kanazawari family occupied this area the Hosei family did." He opened the file and Mai spotted a photocopied version of an old family tree.

"The Hosei family were a proud samurai branch and well known in this area for the crafting of their sharp samurai swords…their secret for their craft was always hidden but one day a man named Jiru Hosei, the family's son entrusted the secret to his trusted friend known as Issei Kanazawari."

"Let me guess…they fought," Ayako asked and Yasuhara-san nodded.

"Issei betrayed Jiru by using the secret to craft his own swords…Issei later stormed the Hosei's place and killed everybody in it. He later took over this castle and renamed it under his name…the battle that took place was a bloody one, almost all of Hosei's children were killed none were left…except him."

Yasuhara-san turned a page and Mai gasped. There on it was a painting of a boy. He was in his late teens and had a bald head. His eyes were small and blank, devoid of any expression. "His name is Takei Hosei…Jiru Hosei's only surviving son."

Yasuhara-san turned the page and Mai gasped. There was another picture of the boy but this time the boy was much thinner, having lost most of his flesh and fats. He seemed like a skeleton with skin. His eyes were still devoid with expression and he looked like an old wrinkled man instead of the young boy she had saw earlier.

"Do you understand this?" Yasuhara-san whispered to Naru whom looked at the picture, his eyes were grave.

"This is serious," Naru whispered, "Very serious."

"What do you mean Naru?" Mai asked and she gulped as the boy glanced at her.

"Utsume-kun is in deep trouble."

There was a loud bang and the whole room went dark. Ayako screamed.

"Stay together!" Naru voice's shouted in the darkness. The room was cold all of a sudden, too cold for a summer night. Mai's blood ran cold as she heard Masako scream.

"Masako! Masako what's wrong!" John's frantic voice called to the girl. In the darkness Mai couldn't see anything and then she froze as she heard the sound of footsteps racing through the wooden floors.

They were running towards them. Fast.

A whole horde of them.

"Lin!" Naru snapped.

There was a loud whistle and 5 balls of light flew through the air. The light snapped on, laughter echoed through the room. An evil sort of laughter. The ghost hunt members glanced at each other in shock and then John gave a cry.

Masako was on the ground.

"She's not breathing!" he cried out, shaking the girl. Bou-san pushed John away and placed a finger on the girl's throat. He drew back in horror.

"Masako!" Mai shouted and she kneeled down facing the girl putting her hands on the girl chest pressing hard.

"What are you doing!" Ayako screamed.

'CPR!" Mai shouted and then she froze when Masako grabs her.

"DIE!" Masako shouted, her voice distorted and loud like a shout made by a hundred thousand men. Mai fell back, pain gripping her, her ears ringing. Masako laughed. "DIE! ALL OF YOU!"

And Masako ran out of the base.

Mai gave a silent cry.

"Masako!" John shouted and he ran after the girl.

"Mai!" Ayako shouted. Mai snapped out of the shock and she touched her ears pulling it back.

Blood…her ears were bleeding.

Mai cupped her ears shivering badly. The look in Masako's eyes…the voices…there were crying out to her…many voices…all telling her to die…

"Marathon monks…" Naru whispered. He was looking on the ground. Mai looked down and found herself staring at footprints, hundreds of them.

"A curse…and…"

Naru turned, his face filled with anger, "And a god."

"**Naru where are you going!" **Mai shouted.

"Yes shouldn't we be chasing after Masako!" Bou-san exclaimed.

"Naru!"

The boy was filled with anger and Mai could see that no matter how much they called to him he was not going to listen.

"We solve this now!" he snapped.

"Yuuki Kanazawari!"Naru shouted and he pulled opened the door to the head's room. The old man was sitting by a chair, his face grave. There was a police detective sitting beside him and his trusty butler Wataru Rin was standing beside him.

"I know of your curse," he spoke and the detective frowned.

"Are you the ghost busters Mr Kanazawari hired? I need to ask you questions regarding the murders of the 3 servants-"

"There is no time for that," Naru snapped and glared at the head whom frowned. The head signalled for Wataru to bring the protesting detective away and Wataru nodded. When they left Naru pointed at the head.

"Your son is in the shrine, the shrine that you have made to hide your family's secret," he said. Naru signalled for Yasuhara-san to place the thick research file on the table. There the picture of Takei Hosei stared back at them.

"This is the son of the family your ancestors have murdered," Naru spoke and the Yuuki Kanazawari's eyes widened.

"How…" he whispered.

"Your son has been possessed by a monk…a marathon monk whom had committed suicide in Ishida Mountain." Naru explained. "And that monk is being controlled by a god none other than Takei Hosei!"

"What!?" Ayako and Mai exclaimed.

"Look at this picture," Naru said and pointed to the picture of Takei Hosei who had been stripped of any fats or flesh. "He was going through a ceremony to become a living god…Takei Hosei preserved himself underneath the earth to become a preserved monk…a living god!"

Mai gasped remembering the golden light that had trailed from the mountains and into the palace of the Kanazawari household. That golden light…that was both good…and evil…Mai finally understood.

"And your ancestors fearing what might happen if you dispose of this living god erected a shrine for him in the midst of the mountains. What your ancestors didn't know was that Takei Hosei is not a god…his a spirit filled with vengeance and using his new divine powers gathered the spirits of the countless monks whom had died in the mountain to work for him."

"The curse that killed Kenta-kun…explain it," Naru said and Yuuki Kanazawari bowed his head in resignation.

"It's a curse…that Jiru Hosei had made with his dying breath," he whispered, "In every generation of our family…the eldest son would die…at the age of 21."

"My older brother," Yuuki whispered, "Was the fifth one to die."

"Please…" the head whispered and he looked up there was sorrow in his eyes. "Please save Utsume-kun."

"Naturally," Naru whispered.

"Naru," Mai whispered in urgency and the boy nodded.

"To the shrine," he said, "That's where Masako is."

_**Is Masako dead? Would Naru and gang save the day? Or would it all end in disaster…to be continued…**_


	19. File 3 Black Monks 8

File 3#

Black Monks

Humans

"And how exactly are we going to save Masako?" Mai snapped and Naru turned annoyed.

"Simple we destroy the god," he said and there was a collective gasp.

"Destroy a what!" Bou-san exclaimed.

"How is that possible?" Ayako snapped.

"Well, considering Naru's powers it might be possible," Yasuhara-san said and he flinched as Lin glared at him.

"He will not use his powers," the Chinese man snapped and Naru's eye brows twitched.

"So how are we going to defeat this-"

"Firstly, we have to save Masako. Masako and John who has so stupidly chased after her." Naru snapped and he turned to the team. "We must get them back no matter what."

Mai nodded. Yes…they should not think of anything else…Masako and John's safety was of top priority.

And yet…still…something felt wrong.

Mai glanced at Naru and found that he was frowning. Mai realized something and she tapped Naru. The boy turned and nodded, confirming her suspicions.

"Naru…the last time we went up there, the monks came after us," Mai whispered and Naru nodded.

"So how are we going to get up there?" she asked.

"About that," Yasuhara-san interrupted. He was smiling and holding up a map. "It would seem that there is another way up Ishihara Mountain."

"We would need a car though," he whispered.

Naru smirked.

"Perfect," he said. A cold wind blew past behind them Ishihara Mountain stood, looming over them, darkness taking it over.

"**Masako wait!" ** John called out to the girl whom was running up the steps at a surprisingly fast rate. The girl's back was straight, her hands placed at her side, her steps wide and long, her eyes staring forward as if she were in a trance. She was running so fast that even John had difficulty running after her.

"Masako!" John cried out, knowing that the girl was possessed…and not by one…but by many. There were faces and figures warping around the girl, dark faceless figures that seemed to be crying out in pain. Their voices mingled together forming a loud dreadful moan that hurt John's ears.

It was hopeless, John thought, watching Masako run further up the stairs. The trees around him swayed, leaves rustled and the darkness of the night seemed to pull him forward, up the stairs towards the shrine.

It was a trance like state but John was well aware of the danger that loomed ahead. He could smell it, the smell of blood mixed into the night air. The air was fresh too fresh, "Like blood," John whispered.

Then Masako stopped and John hesitated, slowing his pace.

"Masako?" he whispered. The girl turned and John found himself staring at the face of a man. The man was bald and there was a deep serene look to his face. His eyes were closed and his lips fixed in a tight line.

"Who are you," John whispered.

A deep silence ensued and a cold wind blew past. The trees rustled and the man's eyes opened slowly. John watched horrified as the man's serene face turned to one of horror and pain. The man's mouth opened wide sounding a wordless scream.

John covered his ringing ears and pulled them away to find himself staring at blood. His ears were bleeding. He gasped and when he looked up his mouth went dry.

"Ut…su…me…-kun…" he whispered.

The boy smirked, his grin small yet evil. There was a glint in the boy's eye. John looked down and found a katana stuck in his shoulder. Blood gushed out from John's wound and John gasped.

"Die."

"**You must know its pain," **a voice whispered to Mai in the darkness. Mai opened her eyes and found herself floating in a dark place. The dark place had no light all there was were millions of floating white orbs that lingered and fluttered in their places.

"Where…" Mai whispered and her eyes widened when she saw a red shrine. "The Kanazawari shrine," she mutterred.

"You must know its pain," the voice whispered, the voice shifted around Mai and the floating orbs and Mai felt herself being pulled towards the shrine by an invisible force.

"No," Mai whispered. She did not want to go there. There was something evil in that shrine. Something that was crying out in pain, in anger. Suddenly, the white orbs grew. They grew and grew till that became the shapes of many grown men. The men had shaved heads and wore white ceremonial garments, they were screaming, their mouths wide open in horror.

"No!" Mai screamed as she neared the shrine.

"_**You will be purified…my servants…"**_ a voice came from the shrine. It was a calm, gentle voice yet behind there was a sort of menace to it. A quiet menace that seemed to shake Mai's very soul.

"You must know its pain Mai," Naru said, appearing before her and grabbing her hand. Mai clutched onto it for dear life and she heaved a sigh of relief when the shrine disappeared before her.

"Pain?" Mai asked.

Naru smiled sadly and he pointed a finger towards a figure that had appeared through the darkness. A bright golden light engulfed it. It was too bright and Mai's eyes stung. She shielded them with her arms and reached for the golden light.

She froze as she touched something dry…dry and cold. The golden light disappeared and Mai fell back. There before her was a dried up skeleton of a young man. Skin was attached to the skeleton, black papery skin. Its mouth hung open and an eye stared at Mai from within the mouth.

An intense pain gripped Mai and she fell back, releasing the skeleton. She grabs hold of her eyes as the pain wrecked through her.

"You must know its pain," Naru whispered.

A hand reached out to grab her and she screamed.

"Mai!" Ayako's voice called out to her and Mai snaps awake. She opened her eyes and she gasped. 'Why are you sleeping? We're reaching the shrine!"

"Mai?" Ayako asked her voice sharp.

Mai reached out to touch her eyes and when she pulls her hands away all she saw was darkness.

"I…I…" Mai whispered; fear taking over, "I can't see!"

"**What do you mean by that?" ** Bou-san snapped, taking a hold of the girl and peering into her eyes. The man pulled back in horror. "No…it can't be…what is this!"

He had never seen or experienced anything like this in his life. Bou-san glanced at the girl's eyes and found that they were blank, incapable of focusing. Almost like she was…blind.

"Naru!" he exclaimed and the expressionless boy was immediately by his side, staring into Mai's eyes. The girl was quivering, her lips were shaking and her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

"What did you touch Mai," Naru whispered, the boy's voice was solemn and calm yet Bou-san could sense a storm brewing underneath the boy's calm exterior.

"A skeleton…a large skeleton…shrouded in golden light." Mai whispered.

The van that they were in jerked on Ishihara's mountain dirt roads violently sending Bou-san crashing into Naru.

"Do I stop the van Naru?" Lin asked. "We need to get Mai to the hospital."

"No continue," Naru whispered and Bou-san shivered when he looked at Naru. A deep anger has replaced Naru's calm expression. It was a powerful intense anger that sent chills down Bou-san's spine.

"Naru?" Ayako whispered, it would seem that the woman had felt it to.

"We need to teach that god a lesson." Naru whispered.

**John screamed in pain. ** The katana lodge in his shoulder was digging into his muscles and flesh. His blood gushed out from his wound staining the dirt grounds of the temple a deep dark red.

Utsume-kun grinned and pushed the katana further into John's shoulder.

"Do you like it?" the boy asked his voice high in pitch. "Do you like the pain!" he yelled.

"Stop it!" John cried out. The boy laughed, his voice becoming that of a full grown man.

"And what right have you got to tell me to stop it?" Utsume-kun whispered. His voice low and dangerous. John shivered in fear, the boy's eyes were different, and they were that of a different person. Those weren't Utsume-kun's pupils…they were bigger, purple in colour. Blood shot eyes…eyes that belonged to a dead person.

John screamed as the katana sunk deeper into his shoulder.

"How dare you betray me," Utsume-kun whispered.

"Ma-sa-ko," John whispered, his vision blurring, the katana sinking deeper.

Tears ran down John's eyes, the pain was unbearable. He was going to die…he was going to die…here…anger filled him. Anger and hate…

"No," he whispered. "No!"

He could not die.

No…

It was cold…it was dark…

No…

John opened his eyes and pulled the katana out of his shoulder. He glared at Utsume-kun and then at Masako. There was a deep silence and John pulled out a bible from his pocket.

He flipped it open, his vision blurring.

"In the beginning there was the word, and the word was with God…and the word was God" he whispered. There was a scream. John looked up and found that Masako was on the ground, shivering. Black figures were emerging from within her, moving out quickly.

Then the girl looked up, a confused look on her face. "John?" she whispered.

John smiled in relieve and he gasps. Something cold was lodge deep in his stomach. He looked down and found a katana. Masako screamed his name as John collapsed onto the ground, Utsume was smiling and the face of a man consumed in hate replaced that of Utsume.

It was no good…

John cried out. He was going to die.

**Mai was lost. **It was so dark, so cold. She was unsure, unsure of her surroundings. The darkness scared her. The darkness that loomed all over her. Ayako and Bou-san were clutching her tightly, yet they did nothing to comfort her beating heart.

"Stay in the van Mai," Naru instructed her and Mai felt fear taking her over.

"Wait Naru!" Ayako shouted. Mai heard the doors slamming and knew that both Lin and Naru had gone ahead towards the shrine. To battle that monster…that monster of a god. No, not a god, a demon.

She cried out in pain and in frustration.

It was dark…too dark. How did this happen anyway. How did she become blind?

She had to do something. She could not have lost her vision. She would be of no use if she continued like this. She pulled her hands away from Bou-san and Ayako's grip. They protested but she ignored them. Mai felt for the door handle and pulled it tight. The doors open and Mai stumbled outside.

She fell hard onto the dirt ground and pain grip her.

Everywhere she looked it was dark…too dark. It was pure black; there was nothing she could see.

"No!" she yelled and she picked herself off the ground.

"Mai stop this nonsense!" Ayako exclaimed. Mai ignored the older woman and took an uncertain step forward and she fell tripping over a root. Bou-san called out a warning and he reached for her.

Mai felt his arms wrapping around her as she panted.

"I…I can't see!" she roared.

"Yes and we'll do something about it! Don't kill yourself in the process!" he reprimanded her. Mai felt like crying but she realized she could not.

Suddenly a million sounds erupted around her. Mai grimaced in pain. The sounds were everywhere racing through her mind. Mai remembered the skeleton, the skeleton that she had touched, the intense pain.

"Mai? Mai what's wrong!" Bou-san exclaimed but Mai could not answer the monk.

There was a deep scent, a deep lingering stench of rotting bodies piled on top one another. There were screams, horrified screamed filled with fear. Fires burnt and Mai could sense the heat scorching her sensitive skin. Somebody was crying, hugging her and crying. Somebody was hugging her tightly, sobbing into her hair. Mai could feel her tears.

"Mother what is going on?" Mai asked, her voice surprisingly innocent and young.

The woman continued to cry and fear took a hold of Mai. A deep painful fear.

There was a loud crash and the woman's hold on her tightened.

"You must run Takei," the woman whispered.

Takei? Mai thought.

There was a scream and Mai felt something warm splash on her cheek. It was a hot warm liquid that smelled metallic.

"Run!" a voice screamed and Mai ran. She crashed into something hard and fell but she was up again, stumbling. Something sharp pierced her shoulder but she did not stop running. Pain gripped her as she stumbled and fell. Everything around her was black, but hot, the smells were horrible. People were screaming.

Mai ran and ran, but she could see nothing.

"No," she whispered, "No!" she screamed.

This could not be happening. The woman…the woman that was always with her…the woman was gone. A deep pain ripped through Mai.

"_**You must understand its pain."**_

"Mother," Mai whispered.

There was a bright light and Mai gasped. She was in Bou-san arms and he was looking down at her in shock.

"You can see?" he exclaimed and he realised her. Mai felt something click and tears rolled down her eyes.

"I see," she whispered.

"What?! What happened!" Ayako exclaimed.

Mai clenched her fist. "Bring me to Naru now!" she shouted.

**Kazuya Shibuya ** reached the shrine to find John Brown laying in a pool of blood. Masako was beside the priest, shaking him, screaming for him to wake up. However the boy remained still. "Naru," Lin's voice sounded behind him and Naru clenched his fist.

"No Naru," Lin warned.

"John!" Masako shouted.

"Naru!"

A bright orange light engulfed him.

"You will pay," he whispered.


End file.
